


One of Us Has to See Sense

by orphan_account



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: A few characters have a different origin story, Alternate Mythology, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Events happen in a different order, Minor Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2018-11-13 07:52:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 42,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11180331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Klaus promised never to return to Mystic Falls, he didn’t promise never to contact Caroline again. What happens when a baby vampire and Original hybrid become email/phone buddies and how will it effect Esther, Dahlia and Finn’s plans for Hope? AU season 6/season 2. (Also, slight changes to the timeline).WHERE CANON ENDS: The Other Side's collapse and Hope's birth.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> When I say ‘Alternate mythology’ I mean that both the origins of a character and in-universe mythology (i.e. how a certain spell works and how its undone) may be changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the idea for the story came from two random thoughts:  
> "What if Klaus told Caroline about most of his problems and every problem in Season Two Caroline found a better way to solve" and "what if the TVD/TO universe was more connected than it was". This was the result.

Caroline picked up the phone on its first ring, annoyed. Everyone knew about her and Klaus’ time in the woods and she was tired of all the judgment.

“Speak of the devil,” she said to herself before answering. “What?”

“Ouch, love. What did I do to earn such hostility?”

“Nothing. You said you’d walk away and stay away. Why are you calling me?”

“I said I wouldn’t return to Mystic Falls. I said nothing about agreeing to never contact you again.”

“So what, you’re just gonna start phone-stalking me now?”

“How is wanting to stay up-to-date on your life phone-stalking? I simply want to stay in touch. Besides, the alternative is a send a bunch of minions to Mystic Falls to keep me updated.”

“Of course that’s your backup plan.”

“I feel like I’m not asking for much, just to talk to you. Is talking to me once a week really that difficult?”

“With anyone else, no. But you’re you so I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it hard. “

“Look, love. Sometimes you need to vent to someone other than Elena or Bonnie, and I need to vent about my siblings. Why not just agree to vent to each other?”

“Fine. “

“I feel like you need to vent about something right now.”

“Yeah, everyone here found out about our activities in the woods. Now, they’re giving me judgmental looks. It’s pissing me off. This is your fault.”

“I didn’t make you do anything. Nor did I tell anyone what transpired between us. How am I the cause of this?”

“Ugh…you with your British accent and dimples and grand romantic speeches melted my brain. Plus if you weren’t so evil, they wouldn’t be so judgy.”

Klaus laughed, “Well I guess I can’t argue with that logic. You could always come to New Orleans to get away from all that judgment.”

“Nice try.”


	2. Can I trust you with something?

**May 2012(Takes place right after 5x22/1x22** )

 Klaus returned from meeting with Rebekah. Everything was in place. Hope was far away, Hayley and Elijah were mourning and Marcel had been compelled to forget. He wondered when he would next see his baby girl. He looked down at his phone, noticing he had four missed calls from Caroline. And three others from the day before. The last time he had this many missed calls, Damon Salvatore was bitten at graduation. He dialed her number, hoping he wasn’t too late.

“Klaus?” Caroline asked, sniffling.

“What’s wrong love?”

“Bonnie’s gone. The Other Side collapsed and she’s just gone. “

“I’m sorry Caroline.”

“I never…. I didn’t get to say goodbye. And now she’s gone and Jeremy’s a mess and Stefan and Elena can barely function. ”

“I didn’t know Stefan was that close to Bonnie.”

“Damon’s gone too. He died and didn’t cross back over in time and he got sucked into Oblivion with Bonnie.”

“At least neither one of them died alone. I know it’s not much of a silver lining, but I hope, in time, it brings you solace. I’m sorry for your loss. “

Caroline sniffled. “Enough about me. I need a distraction. What’s happening with you?”

“A bunch of witches tried to kill me, and half the vampires here hate me.”

“So nothing new then. How are Hayley and the baby? You said she was due right around this time.”

Klaus paused for a second. The family had decided to hide Hope’s survival for the time being, but he had promised himself he’d be honest with Caroline ever since his visit to taunt Katerina on her deathbed.

When he didn’t answer, the blonde got worried. “Klaus? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, its just…. what I’m about to tell you you can never reveal to anyone ever. Do you understand?”

“Of course. You’re starting to worry me though.”

“Hayley had the baby. A bunch of witches tried to kill her on the orders of my mother, so we decided to fake her death. The only people who know she survived are Hayley and my siblings, and now you.”

“If you faked her death, whose looking after her?”

“Rebekah. She left New Orleans a few months ago. I had to get my daughter out of the city.”

“What…what did you name her?”

“Hope. A little cliché maybe but its what she is to me.”

“I think it’s a good name. Fitting. I get the feeling you haven’t had much of it in the last ten centuries. “ Caroline cleared her throat, and her voice changed. “Alex, I need to go. I just needed to talk to someone about what happened.” Her voice then returned to normal. “Sorry, me talking to you is the last thing Elena could handle right now. And Klaus? I’m sorry for your loss. If you need to talk about it, you know my number.”


	3. Things are about to get interesting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the new timeline and AU-ness of our story begins.

**August 2012-Whitmore College**

Caroline looked at her phone, debating whether or not to hit the ‘Call’ button. She wanted to talk to Klaus, let him know what was going on. She also knew he would try to talk her out of her plan when he found out. She looked down at Elena’s body, knowing she only had a few minutes before the brunette awoke. Deciding he should hear it form her rather than Stefan or something, Caroline hit dial.

“Hello, Caroline. Is something wrong? Its not Tuesday, you made me agree to only call on Tuesdays.”

“I’m allowed to break my own rules sometimes. Besides, I needed to talk to you about something.”

Klaus noticed that she sounded somber, like all the sadness had finally caught up to her. “I know you’re frustrated about the Traveller’s spell, but you can’t give up.”

“My mom’s dead. “Caroline stated, her voice breaking. “She was in an accident. Her funeral was today, and because it was in Mystic Falls, I couldn’t go. I missed my own mother’s funeral because of the stupid Travellers. I can't…. I can’t do this.”

“I’m so sorry Caroline. The Sheriff was an amazing woman. How…how can I help, as hollow as that sounds.”

“I can’t move, I can’t breathe. I can’t deal with pain like this. And I shouldn’t have to.”

A realization dawned on the hybrid. “You’re going to turn your emotions off.”

“Yes. I want a year where I don’t have to feel anything. “

“Why are you telling me this?”

“My friends will try to make me turn it back on, but we both know they’ll probably fail. You are one of three people who could force me to turn my emotions back on. Sooner or later, I think they’ll get desperate enough to ask. I’m asking you not to. I stay away from New Orleans and you stay away from me. Let me have my one year.”

“Fine. But if I don’t hear from you in 365 days, I’m going to find you and this deal will be void.”

“It won’t come to that. Talk to you in a year.” She heard Klaus open his mouth to respond and hit the ‘End Call’ button. She closed her eyes for a second, and when she opened them, she felt _nothing._

“Mmm…. I could use a drink.” She said to herself. As she walked toward the door of the apartment they shared, Elena was starting to wake up. The brunette looked at her friend.

“Please tell me you didn’t.”

“I would, but why lie?”

“You know Stefan and I won’t let you keep it off, right? “

“Oh, I know you’ll try to make me turn them back on, but short of torturing me, which will end with me snapping both your necks and slaughtering people, neither of you can really make me.” Caroline said sounding bored. “Now, Klaus. He could, but he won’t. So I guess you’ll just have to leave me be.”

The blonde turned and walked out of the room. _Speaking of Klaus, its really dumb that his death will kill me. I should really do something about that._


	4. The surprisingly logical scheming of emotionless Caroline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or Caroline has no humanity and makes a decision that alters the course of history (ok...that might be a little overdramatic)

**October 16, 2012- Outskirts of London**

Caroline looked down at the sobbing woman on the floor. She’d spent the first two months of her year-of-living-emotionlessly tracking down witches. Finding Rachel Ianson marked the end of her search. “Relax, I just compelled Travis here to sleep until said otherwise. He is still susceptible to things like personal injury and starvation though. The sooner you help me, the sooner you get your boyfriend back. “

“What do you want?!” the furious girl asked.

“You’re a member of one of the oldest covens on the planet, and from one of the oldest bloodlines on the planet. What do you think?”

“A spell. You put my fiancé in a coma to get me to do a spell. “ She said in disbelief.

“Not just any spell. This spell.” Caroline said impatiently, handing the witch a piece of paper.

The witch read and her eyes widened. “This…. this spell do you know what it does? What it will do to you?”

“I know exactly what it does. Do the spell, and you get your boyfriend back.”

“I can’t do this spell.” The witch said incredulously. “Yes, you have the ingredients and the incantation. There isn’t enough power in Nature for me to do it.”

“There’s this.” Caroline said, holding up a necklace. “It belonged to both Qetsiyah and the former Anchor to the Other Side. A lot of magical energy got released when the Other Side went bye-bye. You’re going to use this necklace to channel that energy and do the spell.”

The witch was skeptical; she couldn’t say for certain the spell would work. After all, the spell had only been performed a handful of times in history and never vampire. “Fine. I do this, I get Travis back?”

“Yes. Don’t try and double-cross me though. You won’t like what happens.” Caroline said menacingly. “There’s a rare planetary alignment tonight. I’d suggest you get ready.”

Rachel stormed off to find a suitable place to perform the spell, and Caroline waited. When she knew Rachel was out of earshot, she pulled out a syringe. Kneeling next to Travis’s body, she injected him with it and said. “It’s nothing personal, but I really need your girlfriend to do this for me. As long as she doesn’t pull anything, you’ll get the antidote.”

A few hours later, Caroline, Rachel and Travis’ unconscious body were in the middle of the woods, waiting for Venus to align with the other planets.

“All right, lets get this over with so I never have to see you again.” The witch said hatefully.

“You do realize I’m giving you the chance to do something fewer than a handful of witches have done. You should be thanking me.”

“Whatever” she scoffed. The witch began muttering in Latin to harness the energy she needed to use. When the energy was contained within the necklace, she nodded to Caroline and started pouring one of the vials of blood into the bowl she brought. She then took the second vial of blood and poured it in as well. Finally, she looked at the last ingredient, which Caroline had insisted was the binding ingredient of the spell. Before adding it to the elixir, she asked, “Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?”

“Yes. Now hurry it up.” The blonde said.

The witch added it to the elixir and began chanting. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes and said, “It’s done. Drink it and then we can go our separate ways.”

The vampire complied, and choked down the elixir until there was none left. Upon placing the bowl down, Caroline pulled something out of her jacket and turned to the witch.

“In a second, Travis will wake up. You better hope I do too, otherwise he’s gonna be dead before you can get him back to town.”

Before the witch could ask what that meant, Caroline was on the ground not moving. Travis woke up and gasped for air. A few seconds later, Caroline sat up and looked around.

“Well, that worked.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out another syringe. “And here is the antidote.”

“Antidote to what?” Travis asked, the last thing he remembered was the blonde in front of him showing up at the restaurant where he worked.

Caroline rolled her eyes and sped over to Travis, jamming the syringe into his arm. “About four hours ago, I injected you with black mamba venom. It was rather hard to find. Anyway, if I had died or your girlfriend double-crossed me, you probably would have gotten back to London just in time to die.”

“You poisoned my fiancé? “

“Who just injects people with poisonous snake venom?”

“No, I insured that both of you suffered if this didn’t work. And I do obviously.” She began to walk away. When she was about five feet away, Caroline turned back around. “Oh, one last thing. ” Before Travis and Rachel could blink, Caroline ran over and broke Rachel’s neck. She then turned to the sobbing man and said, “You will forget everything that happened today. You will get in your car and go home. Tomorrow, you will call the police and report Rachel missing. Have a nice life.“

Caroline turned on her heels and walked away, for good this time. When she got back to Rachel’s apartment, she was already on the phone, booking a flight back to Virginia. On her way out, she knocked a few things over so it looked like someone had broken into the apartment.

Sitting in the terminal, Caroline came to a decision. Since no one, not even Klaus, could now force her emotions on, maybe she should do it herself. Caroline closed her eyes and focused on the last time she saw her mother. When she opened them, she was already crying. Everything she’d repressed was coming back. Her mom’s death, the witches she killed to track down Rachel, Elena and Stefan phone-stalking her.

“Everything all right dear?” a soft voice asked. The vampire turned and saw an elderly woman looking at her concerned.

“Sort of. My mom just died and I’m still processing it. I’ll be okay though.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

Caroline nodded, about to thank her, when there was an announcement that flight 3716 from London to Dulles was boarding.


	5. Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline returns home, and the main part of the story gets introduced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter doesn't have a lot in it, but it sets up for the main story.

**October 18, 2012**

**Dulles, VA**

Caroline exited the airport and compelled herself a taxi. She was excited to be back home, even if she couldn’t enter mystic falls just yet. Sitting in the back of the taxi, she dialed a familiar number. “Hello?” an accented voice answered.

“Hey Klaus.”

“Caroline. I thought I wouldn’t be hearing from you for another ten months.”

“Turns out I didn’t really need a whole year. Plus, being emotionless wasn’t as liberating as I thought it would be.”

“Or maybe you aren’t really that different either way. Remember, most of the things I like about you aren’t directly related to your emotions. “

Caroline snorted and smiled. “Thanks, I think. How’s the last few months been?”

“Very boring. Elijah’s no fun. Rebekah is gone and I didn’t have my favorite pen pal to talk to. Not to prod, but how was your two months of living humanity-less?”

“Not that different. I spent most of it tracking down witches and trying to evade the humanity-police. The only real difference is I fed on more humans than I normally would.”

“You spent two months with no emotions searching for witches to undo the Traveller’s spell?”

“Not exactly. Or I guess I should say, not entirely. Undoing the spell at that time was about the principle of the matter. Mystic Falls is my home and I wasn’t going to stay away forever. When that became a dead end, I started seeking something else.”

“And what might that be?”

“I can’t tell you over the phone. Besides, you wouldn’t believe me.”

The pair chatted about where Caroline had visited and what her favorite place was. Klaus even gave her recommendations about where to go on her next trip. As her cab pulled into the parking lot at Whitmore, Caroline told Klaus she needed to go and hung up. After walking around campus for a few minutes, she heard a familiar voice.

“Caroline?” the blonde turned and saw Luke. “What are you doing here? I thought you were off…. enjoying life emotion-free.”

“I was. Now I’m back. Do you know where I can find Elena or Alaric?”

Luke thought something seemed different about the blonde, but couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. “Elena’s living in the same place as last year. I think she’s already done with classes today.“

After thanking him, the blonde ran off. Caroline entered the building, unsure of where to start looking for Elena. Deciding last year’s room was the best place to start, Caroline took off upstairs. As she neared the room, she heard a familiar voice.

“What do you mean you lost her? The whole point of you going to Dallas was to find Caroline and bring her home.”

“I’m sorry Elena” Caroline heard Stefan say, “I haven’t found any trace of her anywhere near here.”

“That’s because I was never in Dallas or Texas for that matter.” The blonde said from the doorway.

The brunette vampire turned around, eyes widening. “I’m gonna call you back.” Hanging up, she stood. “Caroline, you’re here.”

“Yeah, I’m here and I’m me again.”

She ran over to hug her. “That’s great! I’m so glad you came home. We all missed you.”

“I missed you too. Thanks for giving me time, even if you didn’t mean to.”

Elena looked down at the floor, ashamed. “I know I shouldn’t have sent Stefan after you, but I was worried. I…. I didn’t want you to turn your emotions back on and have to deal with a year’s worth of remorse.”

“He never got close enough to even be in the same state. “ Caroline admitted. “Now go on and tell him I’ve come back and I’m normal again.”

Elena hugged her again and redialed her phone. “Stefan, you don’t need to look for Caroline anymore. She’s here. As in at Whitmore and with her emotions back on…. no I don’t know. “

 

**November 29 2012**

A month and a half later, things were getting back to normal. Or as normal as it could be when a psychotic siphoner escapes his supernatural prison and absorbs all his younger brother’s magic, killing said brother. Two good things came out of Kai’s actions. Bonnie had returned from the 1994 prison world with him, and the barrier around Mystic Falls was gone. Kai was struggling with his newfound conscience and every so often, would try and fail to kill Liv.

The vampires of Mystic Falls were happy for the moment but they got the feeling something had changed in the last two months. Ever since Caroline returned to Virginia, there was something different about her. No one could put a finger on what it was and that concerned them. Being emotionless doesn’t change anyone that much that quickly.

While Caroline ignored the concerns of her long-time friends, she began making new ones. Enzo and her had started to become friendly on their trip to kill Tom and that friendship grew after her return. Caroline had appointed herself to be Kai’s humanity coach as he adjusted to being able to feel things like remorse and sadness. They weren’t exactly close, given the torture he’d put Bonnie through, but he seemed determined to earn the witch’s forgiveness and Caroline saw that as a good sign.

Caroline was in the middle of trying to explain to Kai and Enzo that ‘trying to kill someone doesn’t count as a sign of affection’ when her phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she sighed and told them she needed to take the call. Both men nodded, but didn’t leave the room out of sheer curiosity.

“Hey Klaus. What’s up?”

“I’m calling in a favor. I’ve sat and listened to you vent your frustrations on and off for the last six months. I’d appreciate it if you’d do the same for me now.”

“Of course.”

“My older sister is in New Orleans. She’s trying to kidnap and murder Hope who she somehow knows survived.”

“Wasn’t your sister killed by velociraptors before you were born?”

“it was the plague, I’m not that old and apparently not. She’s an extremely powerful witch and has been in some magical sleep-state for the last century, letting her magic build up. On top of all that, Finn who is somehow possessing a witch down here, is still alive and helping her.”

“So you’re up against two powerful witches, one of which has known for a thousand years how to get under your skin.” Caroline concluded. “And you don’t know what to do about it.”

“Yes. Killing both is the only real option I have right now and I’d rather not resort to fratricide. Elijah would prefer that as well.”

Caroline was searching for something to say when Kai sneezed. She then remembered that she wasn’t alone and Enzo had probably told Kai the other half of the conversation that was going on. Making eye contact with the siphoner, a thought occurred to Caroline.

“I may know an alternative, but you have to give me a yes or no answer right now and not ask any questions.”

“All right, I’ll bite. What’s your idea?”

“Would the situation with either sibling be less of a problem if they couldn’t do magic?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to call you right back.” Caroline hung up before he could reply. Turning to look at Kai, she tried to figure out how to best present her proposal. “I have a favor to ask you which is also an opportunity for you.”

“Let me guess, I help you save the baby, I can have the witch’s magic.”

“Yup. “ Caroline said popping the ‘p’. Kai looked like he was about to say no just for the fun of it, so she quickly continued. “Saving babies is the kind of thing Bonnie would see as you turning over a new leaf. It’s a step towards earning her forgiveness. Its also not just any witch’s magic.“

“What’s so special about this witch?” Enzo asked. Other than Travellers, he thought all witches’ magic was the same.

“She’s a Mikaelson witch. She’s over a thousand years old. She’s been asleep for a century, which means she has a lot more magic than an ordinary witch.”

“I do this, I get her magic? That is what you’re promising me.”

“Yes, you can have hers and the magic of the witch one of her brothers is possessing.”

“Deal. “ Kai said. “Just as a warning, you try to renege on this deal, I’ll kill everyone in this town.”

“I know.” Caroline stated. She then turned to look at Enzo, “Want to come with?”

“Of course, gorgeous. Like I’d miss a chance to see this.”

Caroline nodded and dialed Klaus’ number. He picked up on the first ring.

“Hello Caroline, again. Do you have a solution for me?”

“I do. I’ll see you in three days.”

“You’re coming here?” he sounded shocked and worried in equal measure.

“My plan kind of requires me to be in New Orleans in order to work.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll put this at the beginning of the next chapter as well, but I'm making a few changes to what order events transpire in. (Ex: Rebekah is stuck as Eva before Finn tries to trigger a bunch of wolves.)


	6. New Orleans wasn't prepared for our sass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following events are canon: Rebekah was put into Eva’s body and she and Freya escaped the witch asylum. Mikael, Esther and Finn are alive and everyone knows. Esther tortured Elijah. Cami and Hope went into hiding. Finn tried to make the young werewolves trigger their curses. 
> 
> The following events didn’t happen (or at least not yet): Ansel and a lot of the wolf stuff. They still have the moonlight rings, except the 12 Elijah destroyed, and have taken over the Quarter. Esther isn’t a vampire. The vampires and wolves weren’t trapped in the Abattoir. Finn just discovered the baby is alive, and Kol isn’t cursed.

**New Orleans**

Caroline Enzo and Kai made it to New Orleans in under a day. As they entered the French Quarter, Caroline got out her phone to call Klaus when Enzo spoke, "Is there a chance we could get a drink before we get all wrapped up in your boyfriend's magical crisis?"

"One: You don't need to be here. Two: He's not my boyfriend. But yeah, whatever."

"Yay!" Kai said clapping his hands "I have drinking buddies again."

"Just try not to kill anyone." Caroline said.

The trio walked into the first bar they found. Avoiding the gazes of everyone else, they grabbed a table in the back and sat down. The patrons went back to their drinks quickly, with the exception of two. As the trio sat, a man came up to them.

"Vampires aren't welcome here. Leave, while you still can."

"And I should listen to you because?" Enzo asked

"Because, I run this city and I say so."

"Really? Because last time I checked, you’re not an immortal hybrid or his overly formal brother.”

"What happens if we don't?" Kai asked, trying to start a fight.

"The Originals aren’t in charge anymore. You three don't leave, I'll give them two a nice dose of werewolf venom" he said pointing to Caroline and Enzo, "and kill you just for fun."

"I’d really like to see you try." Caroline said.

"He's annoying." Kai said in a whiny voice. Then he perked up. "Can I kill him?" 

"No, but you can drain a little out of him." Caroline turned to the man "So, are we gonna fight or what? Otherwise, I got stuff to do."

The man nodded and two others rushed forward. Enzo quickly snapped one's neck while Caroline threw the other through the window. A third wolf began to move forward when Kai grabbed his arm. Within seconds the man was yelling, a second later he was unconscious. The leader looked to Caroline confused. "We're not your average vampires."

"But you still die like them." The wolf said as someone staked Caroline from behind. Enzo and Kai stared in shock and Caroline began to chuckle. No one noticed the young bartender slip out and run down the street.

 

Josh stopped running when he reached the Abattoir. Storming into the building, he ran to Klaus' studio where the hybrid and Elijah were talking. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't the only 'unique' vampire out there?"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"There's some blonde in the bar. Some wolves tried to run her and two others off, which didn't work. One of her friends knocked Aiden out by touching him. I just watched her get staked and barely react."

"Describe the blonde." Klaus said jumping to his feet.

"Vampire, obviously. Seems like a pageant queen slash head cheerleader type. A little older than me. And I think she knows you"

"Oh really?"

"When one of the wolves claimed it was his city, she said he didn't look like an immortal hybrid to her."

"Caroline. She's a day early." Klaus said panicked. "You better hope, Joshua, that's she's still alive."

The hybrid sped out of the house and towards the bar. Entering, he saw a number of wolves unconscious on the floor and Caroline standing with a stake protruding from her chest.

"Hey Klaus," she said as she pulled the stake out, "what's up?" Klaus couldn't do anything except stare at the blonde. She felt different to him, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint how or why. Her surviving being staked only added to his confusion.

"How? I missed your heart, but the stake still should have hurt you.” Kyle said, gasping for breath.

"I'm just special like that." Caroline said before turning to Enzo and Kai, "Since we don't have to find Klaus, I guess we can go now."

Klaus' brain finally caught up to what he was seeing. He knew what he saw, but had no explanation for how any of it made sense. "You have some explaining to do, love."

"I know."


	7. How I spent my summer vacation (without emotions)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the spell did is revealed (how she did it and the consequences are not)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to update this story every Wednesday, so I can spend more time writing.

When they entered the compound, Caroline braced herself for questions. Claiming to survive a stake to the chest and witnessing it were two different things. She could have convinced Enzo and Kai not to mention anything about their bar brawl, but now she was stuck. Klaus knew something was different about her and wouldn’t stop investigating until he found out what. She wasn’t afraid of what Klaus would do, just not looking forward to his reaction. It was the bartender who spoke first. "How did your friend knock out Aiden just by touching him?"

Everyone jumped, they had forgotten Josh was standing there. Caroline decided to answer. "This is Kai, he's a special kind of witch. He can absorb magic from other magical objects or beings, like a werewolf."

"Joshua, you may leave now.” Elijah said, and no one spoke until the young vampire was out of earshot. “He’s a siphoner then."

"Yes, although my parents preferred terms like ‘abomination’ or ‘monstrosity’."

Enzo rolled his eyes, Kai’s abilities were the least interesting part of what just happened. "Let's get to the interesting part, how did you survive that stake gorgeous?"

"Yes, only my siblings and I are immune to ordinary wood." Elijah asked, attempting to sound neutral.

"Well, you're half right. You were the only vampires immune until very recently." Caroline looked between the pair before focusing on Klaus. "Before I continue, I need to know something. At 6:19 pm on October 17th, did you start to feel a weird sensation? Something you couldn’t describe but felt distinctly magical."

The hybrid looked at her perplexed. "Yes, it was like a part of me had left. How could you possibly know that?"

"Because I caused it. When it was 6:19 pm here it was 12:19 am in London and I was having myself magically removed from your sire line."

Silence reigned for a moment before Klaus yelled. "What? Why?"

"The first thought I had when I was humanity-free, other than wanting a drink, was about how stupid it was that your death would mean my death. So I decided to fix that. Apparently without my humanity I’m freakishly logical about everything."

"How?"

"I found a witch, from a powerful enough coven, who I ‘persuaded’ to help me." Caroline said, putting air quotes around persuaded.

The brothers stood shocked for a moment and then Klaus spat out, "So now anyone can remove themselves from our lines? Any of my angry sirelings could use this spell to become unsired from me and kill me. You've damned my entire family."

Caroline rolled her eyes, why did he always have to be such a drama queen? "No, I haven't. I was emotionless, not stupid. I killed the witch, and every other witch I consulted about it. And I burned all evidence of the spell. I didn’t go through all this to hurt you or your family. I wanted to live and at the time, I didn’t care at all about anyone else sired from either of you."

Elijah was wary to believe that Caroline covered her tracks so well, but was more interested in what he saw moments ago. "This doesn't explain how you survived the stake Miss Forbes."

The blonde suddenly became very interested with the molding around the doorframe and refused to look at either Original. “Removing myself from Klaus’ sire line was only about 20% of the spell; it was actually more of a side effect. You see, to not be part of his sire line with violating Nature or severing the entire line, I couldn’t be a run-of-the-mill vampire.”

"You became an Original." Elijah said, voice hardening in realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Caroline is an Original. How did she do it? We're gonna find out in a few chapters.....


	8. My plan isn't perfect but it's better than yours

_Previously:_

_“Removing myself from Klaus’ sire line was only about 20% of the spell; it was actually more of a side effect. You see, to not be part of his sire line with violating Nature or severing the entire line, I couldn’t be a run-of-the-mill vampire.”_

_"You became an Original." Elijah said, voice hardening in realization._

* * *

 

“Yes I did.” Caroline said matter-of-factly.

Kai stood and watched this confrontation. Sure, he was still getting used to having normal magic, but he sensed there was something Caroline had left out. If the spell made her an Original, she still would have felt like a vampire to him, just stronger. The vibe he was getting off of her was something far older and far more powerful than the vibe he got from either Mikaelson. The siphoner decided it benefitted him far more not to say anything yet.

“How?” Klaus asked, incredulous. “How is that possible?”

“Look, is that really what we’re focusing on right now?” Kai asked. “Isnt there a baby we’re supposed to be saving from her evil relatives?” the siphoner did jazz hands as he said ‘evil relatives.’

“This conversation is far from over.” Klaus said ominously. “You never did explain your plan for stopping Freya, sweetheart.”

“He’s the plan.” Caroline said, pointing to Kai. “He can siphon Freya’s magic away.”

“Why would you be willing to help us?” Elijah asked.

“Oh, I’m not helping you, I’m helping me. Blondie over there said I could keep the magic I siphoned. Like I did with my brother.”

“Doing that will kill her.” the original said.

“I don’t think it will.” Caroline interjected. “According to Bonnie, magic comes from within, it’s a part of her DNA. All Kai would be doing is absorbing the excess magic she’s built up during her ‘coma’. With that gone, she’s back to being a normal witch. And Kai won’t kill her.”

“Why? Because you ask him not to?”

“No, I’m not quite used to human feelings and I just don’t want to deal with the guilt. And I’m not gonna siphon all of it.”

“What do you mean ‘getting used to human emotion’?”

“Oh, I guess we skipped over the part where I was a sociopath until about two weeks ago when I absorbed my brother’s magic and personality.” The Originals gaped in response, having no idea how to respond to that.

“Speaking of Luke, that does bring up a huge problem goldilocks.” Enzo said. “The last time Kai siphoned up someone’s magic, he killed them. How do you know he won’t do the same this time?”

Kai rolled his eyes. “Luke didn’t die because I drained his magic; he died because I drained his magic during the Merge ritual. It only allows one participant to survive.” Kai left the room and returned a few moments later with a bottle of scotch.

“So let me get this straight. You want us to trust a random siphoner you met, who by his own admission is a former sociopath, to steal enough of our sister’s magic to make her easier to manage, but not enough to kill her?” Klaus said. “We need the siphoner, we need Caroline because its her plan, but why is he here?” the hybrid pointed to Enzo.

“Virginia got boring mate.”

“As fascinating as this all is, I must get back to the safehouse. Keep me updated on the search for both our siblings. As well as Rebekah’s search.” Elijah turned and left the building.

“What happened to Rebekah?” Caroline asked.

“My wanker of a brother stuck me in some witch’s body and hid my real one” A young black woman said, storming into the building. “ When I find him, I’m going to enjoy sending back to the Afterlife.”

“Why would Finn do that? If you have magic, he can’t just dagger you or just use magic to break your neck or whatever.”

“It wasn’t Finn, it was Kol. Revenge for some stuff from the 1910s. “

“Wait, so not only is your sister suddenly alive, but both your dead brothers are back too?” Caroline began to stare Klaus down, wondering why he hadn’t shared this information with her.

“Let’s just hope my siblings don’t start rising from the dead.” Kai stated, downing his drink. “That would be one hell of an awkward conversation. Considering how, you know, I’m the one that killed them.”

“You killed your own siblings?” Rebekah asked.

“I had a rough childhood.”

“Kol and Finn aren’t the only ones back.” Klaus said, not looking at Caroline. “But right now, Freya and Finn are the biggest threat.”

“But this Kol bloke isn’t?” Enzo asked.

“Kol wants to live. He only allied with Esther to come back from the Other Side.”

“Your mother is back too?” Caroline practically yelled. “Why wasn’t that the first thing out of your mouth when you called?”

“I can only deal with one vengeful resurrected family member at a time. I have her hidden quite well, outside New Orleans and far from the Ancestors.”

“Yeah, but for how long, Nik?” a blonde man said as he walked into the compound. When he saw Caroline, he smirked. “I remember you, tasty little thing.”

“Kol.” Caroline said, annoyed. ”You know I could kick your ass, right?”

“You could, but you won’t. Mostly because I have information, kinda.”

“And what is this important news?” Rebekah asked. “Is it that youre going to put me back into my body?”

“That’s gonna have to wait Bex. I know where Finn is.” The man looked expectantly at Klaus for some form of thank you. The hybrid just stared his brother down. “He’s tryong to blackmail me into stealing your blood for something.”

“Blackmail you with what?”

Kol got uncomfortable and said, “That doesn’t matter. The important thing is I know where he is, or at least, where he’ll be.”

Kai started clapping. “Yay! Now I can take his magic.”

The Mikaelsons all turned to look at him, Klaus in annoyance, and the others in confusion. “Who the hell are you?”

“The best weapon against Finn, and the best bet for keeping a certain someone safe.” Caroline said, giving Rebekah a meaningful look. She didn’t want to give away Hope’s survival since it seemed Kol didn’t know.


	9. What's happening everywhere else?

**The Bayou**

"We might have a problem." Oliver said walking into the Bayou, dragging an unconscious Aiden behind him.

"What the hell happened to him?" Jackson asked.

"We ran into a two vampires and a human in the quarter and tried to scare them off. It didn't work. One of the vamps killed Jason, and the other threw me through a window. Kyle staked her and it didn't even slow her down. I don't know what the blonde is, but she's not a normal vampire."

"Then what happened to Aiden?"

"The guy with them, the non-vampire, grabbed his arm and a few seconds later, he was unconscious. That's not the problem though." As Oliver spoke, more members of the pack came over, wanting to hear what he was saying.

"Then what is?"

"At least two vampires saw that fight happen and us lose. Klaus showed up towards the end and they left with him. Hell, the blonde was apparently looking for him."

"Blonde?" Hayley asked, hoping it wasn't who she thought. "Describe her."

"Honestly, she had a 'head cheerleader' vibe until we started threatening them. Then she got kinda bitchy. "

"Caroline. Great." Hayley said rolling her eyes and walking off.

"So you're saying soon every vampire and nearly every witch in New Orleans is gonna know about both the man who knocked out a wolf by touching him and Klaus' mysterious friend. "

"Yup. There's another potential problem for all the wolves."

"What? What more could possibly be going on?"

"After they left, my ring started acting funny. Once I knew the others were ok, I tried to track one of the vampire witnesses and get information. I couldn’t track even manage to track her ten feet outside the bar. My senses went back to normal, non-fullmoon levels."

The Alpha looked at Oliver equally confused and concerned. The fight with the vampires would weaken their hold on the city. The rings not working meant the wolves would be vulnerable once again. He was fine with losing the quarter but not leaving his people open to attack.

"Track down Esther or one of her witches and see what's going on."

 

**Marcel's Apartment**

"You will not believe what just happened." Gia said, entering Marcel's apartment.

"What?" the man asked, wondering why Gia seemed so optimistic suddenly.

"Two vamps and what I'm guessing is a witch got into a fight with a few wolves at Rousseau's and won."

The piqued the vampire’s interest. "Really? How?"

"One of the vampires broke a wolf's neck. The witch grabbed the wolf Josh doesn’t want to admit he likes and knocked him out by touching him."

"That witch sounds useful. And the other vampire?"

"She threw one out the window and took a stake to the chest without reacting."

"She didn't react at all?" This surprised Marcel, the only vampire he knew that barely reacted to getting staked was Klaus.

"She laughed and then started kicking the wolf that staked her."

"Sounds like my kind of woman. Where'd they go?"

"That's the only real problem. Klaus showed up as the fight was ending. He knew the female vampire and the group left with him. I couldn't exactly follow them."

"Of course he did. "

 

**Somewhere in the Garden District**

“Something’s wrong.” Phoebe said, looking at her fellow witches. She’d been trying for an hour to turn the stone in her hands into a moonlight amulet. “The spell isn’t holding.”

The others looked at her startled. Esther had tasked them with making more moonlight rings for the wolves of New Orleans and then disappeared. If the spell wasn’t working, they didn’t know what to do. Esther created the spell and knew it inside out, so she might be able to work around whatever issue they were having but she was gone. She’d only told her ‘helpers’ enough about the spell to perform it, not understand it.

“We need to find her.” another witch said. “If we can’t make those rings, we’re going to have a lot of angry werewolves on our hands.”

“And a lot of vengeful vampires.”

They sent a few witches to the City of the Dead in case Finn was there and knew where his mother was. The rest waited in anticipation at the warehouse. The group that left to search for Finn returned, and hadn’t found Finn or any trace of Esther. Phoebe was preparing to do a locator spell when one of the wolves from the Bayou walked into the warehouse.

“Where’s Esther?”

“We’re not sure. We’re looking for her.”

“Well then, can one of you explain why my ring stopped working normally?”

Julianna, the oldest and most experienced of the witches, stepped forward and said, “I might be able to, let me see it.” Oliver took the ring off and handed it to her. “What do you mean it stopped working normally?”

“Ran into some vamps, got into a fight. When the fight was over, I tried to track one of the witnesses down. My senses were weak, like they would be without the ring or a full moon.” Julianna stopped analyzing the ring and handed it back to Oliver. She was almost positive what had happened, but needed one last test to be sure.

“Have you tried shifting or extending your fangs?” Oliver shook his head. “Try it now.”

Oliver put the ring back on and took a deep breath. The witches watched as he tried to shift. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make a single bone break. He then tried and failed to extend his fangs. Getting desperate, he tried to make his eyes glow, failing again.

“The spell was undone. The magic is gone from your ring.”

“So re-spell the stone then.”

“We can’t. The stone can be spelled, and it can be de-spelled. You can’t make an amulet, destroyed it and then remake the same amulet.”

“Then give me a new one.”

“We can’t.” Juliana gestured to the unfinished rings on the table. “We’ve been trying all day to make the spell hold, and we can’t. That’s why we need Esther.”

“Let me get this straight: the rings are losing power, and you don’t know why, and you can't make more, and you don’t know why. Is there anything you do know?”

“They didn’t lose power, the magic was taken. We just don’t know by who.”

**The Abattoir**

Klaus, Rebekah and Kol sat in the library of the compound, trying to strategize. All three knew Finn was searching for something and wasn’t going to stop until he found it. Klaus usually planned meticulously, down to the last detail, every plan, maneuver and back-up plan shared with his allies. Now, he was at a loss. Finn was more powerful and determined than Klaus initially thought. Klaus and Rebekah both prayed that the cloaking spell on Hope was strong enough.  

Kol knew when he was being left out of something. he might not have been a part of the “Always and Forever” pact his siblings made, but he knew his siblings. He knew when they lied to him and when they were hiding something. usually, they denied hiding something but this time around, they simply told him they didn’t trust him. Whatever it was, it must be serious.

Rebekah’s mind was focused on another matter. For the first time in centuries, she had magic and no idea what to do with it. She never had Kol’s skill as a human, and wondered if part of Kol’s ‘revenge’ against her was watching her fail at something so badly. She also got a strange feeling seeing Caroline again, like something about her had changed and she couldn’t quite sense what.

“Not to pry into your personal life, Nik and I definitely don’t want to know about your sex life, but is something different about your blonde friend?” Kol asked.

“I sensed something different too.” Rebekah chimed in.

“Her mother died a few months ago, and she couldn’t attend the funeral. She shut her humanity off for awhile.” Klaus said, sounding vague on purpose.

“That’s sad and all but we all know that’s not what we’re referring to.” Kol said.

“When her humanity was off, she managed to become an Original.”

“She’s an Original now? How? Do you have any idea what this means for you, Elijah and me when I get back to my body? If she tells the wrong people how to do it, we’re dead. ”

“Aw. Is Bex upset that she’s not the only female Original anymore?”

“She hasn’t elaborated on how she did it, just why. She also destroyed all traces of the spell and killed every witch she approached about it. If emotionless Caroline is half as efficient as her normal self, it would take years to find a single trace of this occurance.”

“I still wanna know how she did it.” Rebekah said petulantly.

**Athens, Greece**

A woman stood atop the Acropolis, overlooking the city of Athens. Hours ago she had felt a change in reality, even in the Afterlife. The moment her spirit reached Earth, she knew why she felt compelled to return to this plane. It was her punishment, after all, to witness the destruction the children of the _princeps infernum_ brought upon this world. All for helping a lost soul so many centuries ago.

“So, an heir has awoken. The cycle starts over again.” She said sadly.

“No, my dear. This is the end of it.” A voice called from behind her. The woman turned around and saw a familiar, but not so friendly, face. It was the woman who caused her endless punishment, and shared it with her. “This is the end of our eternal condemnation. If the heir proves to be uncorrupted unlike the previous one, unlike myself, then we will be free.”

“How can you be so certain she will choose the right path? You used your final breath to lock that power away from your children.”

“Because, she is the only worthy descendant I've had in three millennia."


	10. Finn

Early the next day **,** Klaus, Kai, Rebekah and Kol walked into the arranged meeting spot, the attic of an abandoned church.

“Well where is he?” Klaus asked. “Is this a trick?”

“He said he’d be here, I swear.” Kol answered, looking around the attic. The items on the table made him uneasy. “This is the remnant of a spell. Ancient, its impressive.”

“Admire its artistry later. Tell me what he set in motion.”

Rebekah looked at the table and noticed something. “Kol, what is that?” she said, pointing to a charred piece of wood. Kol picked up the wood and began to mutter a spell. After a few seconds, the wood had turned into a tile with runes on it. “Runic tiles. And what does it mean?”

“It’s a symbol…for ‘baby’.” Kol said confused. “That’s the secret, isn’t it? Your baby’s still alive.”

“Finn tricked us into running around all day thinking he was looking for a way to find Hope-“

“When he knew where she was all along.”

“I suppose this is where I come in.” Kai said. “I need your blood and I need to know where your daughter is.”

“Shouldn’t you be trying to take out Finn?”

“I’m actually doing both. With your blood, and the magic I borrowed from a few of the werewolves we fought, I can cloak myself, locate Finn, knock him out and teleport him back here. I can deal with him and you can move your daughter.”

Klaus bit his wrist and let some blood drip into one of the bowl’s Finn had left behind, while Kol spoke up. “Finn’s possessing a very powerful witch. An ordinary cloaking spell isn’t going to work. “

“Dude, my coven invented cloaking spells. Trust me, it’ll work. “ Kai then grabbed the bowl from Klaus and began muttering under his breath. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and looked at the siblings. “I found him. He’s not quite at the house, but we need to move fast. You need to head back to the compound. I’ll be back with him soon.”

Before anyone could argue, Kai disappeared.

 

**Arkansas**

Elijah picked himself up off the floor. “How did you find me?” Kai walked into the house, still hidden by his cloaking spell and waited for the right time to act.

“A little help from our sister.”

“Rebekah would never lure herself to wallow in your filth.”

“We have more than one you know.”

“I know.” Kai interrupted. “She’s next on my list.” The witch turned around trying to locate the source of the voice, and Kai undid his cloaking spell.

“What are you-?”

“Night-night.” Kai said, waving his arm. Finn fell to the ground. “Now, lets get you back to the Big Easy.” The siphoner turned to look at Elijah. “Your family’s freaking out. You might wanna call them or whatever.”

“How…how did you know he was here?”

“We found out he knew where Hope was and I used a super-secret Parker-family spell to teleport myself here.” Kai said sounding bored. Both men jumped when the door opened. A blonde woman holding a baby came rushing in.

“Elijah what happened to the do- who are you?” she asked when she saw Kai.

“I’m a friend of a friend of Klaus’s. See you later.” Kai said, as he grabbed Vincent’s arm and disappeared.

“Where’d he just go?” Camille asked.

“I believe he teleported my older brother back to New Orleans and far from Hope or our compromised safe house.” Elijah said.

 

**The Abattoir**

Davina, Josephine LaRue and a number of Treme witches stood in the Abattoir waiting. Kol called Davina on the way back from Finn’s secret base and told her they were preparing to remove Finn from Vincent’s body. She, in turn, called the Regent of the Nine Covens, Josephine, who informed the Treme coven elders.

“You may not want to see this.” Kol said to the crowd. “I don’t know how Nik’s associate plans on separating Finn’s spirit from Vincent’s body.”

“He’s going to destroy the link that connects the two. Like an exorcism.” Caroline said, walking down the stairs with a box in her hands. “Finn will be expelled from Vincent’s body and without a host, he can’t remain on this plane of existence.”

“And how does this boy plan on keeping Finn from possessing another?” the regent asked with a haughty voice.

“That’s what this is for.” The blonde said, gesturing with the box in her hands. “With a little bit of salt and an old spell, it’ll work.” She handed a container to Kol, who began making a boundary of salt in the middle of the courtyard. One of the Treme witches was about to demand an explanation when Kai and Finn appeared in the building.

“Sup, witches. “ he said, laying the unconscious body on the ground inside Kol’s boundary. He turned to look at Caroline and asked, “You’re the expert. What else does the spell need?”

“Let’s see. Salt boundary, check. Members of his coven, check. “ She knew she was forgetting something. Then it dawned in her. Reaching into the box, she pulled a vial out. “Oh, duh. Binding powder. ” She handed it to Kai who dropped the vial on the floor, smashing it. The other witches felt a shockwave pass through the building and then it stopped. A few moments later, Finn woke up.

He looked around at the assembled group and said, “Did you think teleporting me back here is going to do anything? It’s not that hard to get back to Arkansas.” Finn stood up and walked toward the door, only to find himself unable to move more than five feet from where he started. “What did you do?” he yelled, looking at Kol and Davina.

“It’s a very old Japanese boundary spell.” Caroline said. “I came across it a few months back. Any witch can enter, but no witch can leave. Unless the spell is undone, which no one here besides me knows how to do.”

“You’ve trapped me, so what? Your friend is stuck in here too.”

“Yeah but you see, I’m trapped in here for a reason. If Vincent can’t leave, neither can you. Which means when I get you out of his body, there’s no way you can possess someone else.”

“You mean if you can get me out. And that’s a pretty big if.” Finn said arrogantly.

“It’s really not.” Kai said, grabbing his arm. His hand began to glow and Finn was forced to his knees. “Did I forget to mention I can siphon a witch’s magic right out of their body?” Finn began to scream in pain and Kai addressed the coven. “Now, just to be clear, I could take all his magic, but I won’t. I’m just taking out the bit of magic that keeps Finn in what-his-face’s body.”

“Vincent. His name is Vincent.”

“Whatever. In a second I’m gonna let go, and we’ll see if Finn is still home.” Kai released his grip and Vincent laid on the ground panting.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that,” the man said with contempt. “My mother was the Original witch, she’s more powerful than you’ll ever know.”

Kai rolled his eyes and grabbed Finn’s arm once again. “First of all, ‘original witch’ is a lie. Witches existed way before your mommy and she doesn’t even place when it comes to most powerful witches. Second, if I can steal an entire coven’s magic, I can steal the tiny bit she used. “

“If you expel me, then he dies.” Finn said, pointing to Kol, as a last-ditch effort to save himself.

“Spoken like the really cheap villain in a bad movie. Enjoy the Afterlife, tell Luke I say hi.” Kai focused a little harder and then Vincent passed out. They waited tensely for Vincent to wake up.

“Tell us how to undo the spell now, vampire.” One of the Treme witches said.

“Not until we know for sure that it’s actually Vincent.” Caroline shot back.

“You will or I will make you.” Josephine said. The vampire ignored her and the witch began to do a pain infliction spell. Caroline flinched but didn’t react.

“Yeah, that’s not really gonna work on me.” The blonde said. “I’m not your normal vampire. Your friend is waking up.”

Vincent gasped awake and sat up. “Who are you? How did I get here?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” a redheaded witch asked.

“Going to Clyde’s for a drink.” He answered before looking around and focusing on Rebekah. “Eva, what are you doing here? How did you get out?”

“I’m not Eva, I’m just stuck in her body.”

“What happened to me?”

“You were possessed for a couple months.” Kol told him before turning to Caroline. “Ok, its clearly not Finn. Can you tell him how to undo the spell now?”

“Fine. Kai, cut your hand and let it bleed on the barrier.” Caroline said, throwing him a switchblade. She ran upstairs and came back with a large tome. Holding the book open so only Kai could see it, she pointed to a passage and said, “Recite this and then set the salt on fire.”

The siphoner looked down at the book and then back up at Caroline. She couldn't be serious, could she? After a beat, he said. "Just one problem, blondie, I have no idea how to pronounce that."

The blonde rolled her eyes and walked over the barrier. She whispered the incantation to Kai and walked away.Kai complied and the witches soon left the compound, with Vincent thanking everyone and agreeing to take it easy for a few days.


	11. Curiosity makes everything a lot more complicated

The next morning, everyone except Klaus was milling about the compound. The hybrid had left the night before to meet with Elijah and find a new safe house for Hope. Kol and Rebekah pulled Caroline aside to question her.

“How did you learn that spell from yesterday?” Kol asked. “I’ve been around a while and I’ve never even heard of something like that.”

“When I was trying to undo the Traveller purification spell, I discovered a lot of old and nasty spells. Trapping witches didn’t help me at the time, so I kept the book but didn’t really delve into it until Klaus called me.”

“Who even created that spell?”

“A female samurai who was also a witch. Another witch killed her master. According to the legend, she knew she couldn’t out-magic her, so she elected to outsmart her.”

Kol was going to ask for more information, when Josh and a female vampire with dark hair walked into the compound. When their eyes found Caroline, they approached her. “Hey, can we talk to you?” Josh asked Caroline.

“Let me guess, this is about the bar fight the other day.”

“Yeah, it piqued a friend’s interest.”

“And you want to take me to that friend. Ok, whatever.” She turned to Enzo and Kai and said. “I’ll be back later. If anyone asks, tell them I’ll be back when I’m back.” The blonde then turned on her heels and walked out of the building.

Rebekah and Kol left soon after, heading to Lafayette Cemetery so Kol could teach his sister a few things. Enzo was about to suggest a drink when one of the wolves from the bar and a dark-haired hybrid walked in. The werewolf spoke.

“That’s the vampire who killed Jason,” he said pointing to Enzo. He then turned and pointed to Kai. “And that is the dude who knocked Aiden out by touching him.”

“And you’re the werewolf who wouldn’t back off when we asked to be left alone.” Enzo retorted.

“We need you to come with us.” Hayley said addressing Kai.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because I’m not asking.”

“Why is it that werewolves pick a fight whenever someone questions them?” the siphoner said to Enzo, who shrugged. “You do realize I could do a lot worse to both of you than knocking you out, right? Hybrid or not, this fight wouldn’t work out as well for you as you’d think.”

“Look, you either come with us, or I knock you out and drag you.” The man said, getting agitated.

“Whatever. This should at least prove entertaining. Let’s go Enzo.”

“He’s not coming with us.” Hayley said. “He killed Jason.”

“Your friend tried to kill me and I was defending myself.” Enzo said. “I’m coming with you, whether you like it or not. I can handle myself; I don’t trust or like any of you so far and I also don’t want a certain perky angel of death coming after me if something happens to him. We can argue about it, but you’re gonna lose.”

 

**Across the River**

As Caroline and her escorts reached Algiers, she spoke. “So, I’m Caroline. Who exactly are you?”

“I’m Gia, that’s Josh.” The brunette vampire said.

“Cool. And who are we meeting?”

“Marcel. He’s kinda the leader of the vampires right now, since Klaus is dealing with his family drama.” Josh replied.

“Oh, I know exactly who Marcel is.” Caroline said remembering how often she listened to Klaus gripe about Marcel’s attempts to ‘dethrone’ him. They continued the rest of the way in silence. Soon they came to an apartment building and went up to the top floor. Josh looked cautiously between the door and Caroline before opening it. Caroline brushed past him and walked in. She found an African-American man standing inside, pouring a drink. He put the drink down and moved to introduce himself.

“Ah, our mysterious vampire newcomer. Welcome to New Orleans. I’m-“

“Marcel, I know.” Caroline finished for him. She walked past him to the bar and poured herself bourbon. When she saw Marcel’s look of surprise, she explained. “Klaus may have mentioned you once or twice.”

“Good things I hope.” Marcel said.

“Not really. Then again, both times you can up, you were either holding his desiccated brother hostage or trying to kill him. He wasn’t exactly a fan.” Caroline answered. “Let me save you some time. Assume I know everything that happened between Klaus arriving here and this past August.”

“And how exactly do you know my sire?”

“He and I go way back. Do you really bring me here to talk about him?“ Caroline and Marcel engaged in a staring contest for a few moments before the man answered.

“Partially. I wanna know about the fight in Rousseau’s. “ Marcel said, sitting down.

“My friends and I went for a drink. A bunch of werewolves tried to threaten us. We fought, I won. Your friend Josh ran and told Klaus. The end.”

“You’re leaving a lot out.” Gia said. “I saw what happened. One friend knocked a wolf out by touching him and you laughed off getting staked.”

“Yes, how did those two things happen?” marcel inquired.

Caroline put her drink down and sat back against the sofa. “I’ll make you a deal; you answer my couple of questions and I’ll answer yours.”

“Seems fair. What do you want to know?”

“How’d you lose control of the city to the wolves?”

“It was Klaus, actually. A witch double-crossed him, gave the wolves what they needed to push us out. He was too busy wrapped up in his personal tragedy to fight. Then, another witch started mass producing moonlight rings.” Marcel answered, sighing. “A month ago, we reached a compromise. Any resident vampires could stay, new arrivals, like yourself, had to leave. That’s why the wolves attacked you. Now, what did your witch do to that wolf?”

“Kai isn’t my witch, he’s a friend. He has a unique magical ability: he can siphon magical energy out of anything supernatural, including a supernatural being.”

“I’ve been around for two hundred years and I’ve never heard of a witch that could do that.” Marcel said in disbelief.

“It’s a very rare skill. Next question, if the moonlight rings allow the wolves to shift at any time, why didn’t any of the wolves in that bar shift or bite us? ”

“I have no idea. They should’ve bitten you and the other vampire. Now, my question: why didn’t getting staked effect you?”

“I’m not an ordinary vampire.” Caroline said vaguely, taking a drink.

“That’s not a real answer and you know it.” Gia said. Caroline snorted and put her drink down.

“Fine, you really want to know? Showing you would work better.” Caroline stood up and walked over to the window. She opened the curtains a little wider and turned back to the group. “Here’s why.” Caroline then tore her daylight ring off and threw it across the room. Josh, Marcel and Gia rushed to their feet when they saw her remove the ring. They all stood in shock as nothing happened. She didn’t catch fire; her skin didn’t even begin to blister.

“What are you?” Marcel finally asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m an Original.”

“No, you’re not. Elijah and Rebekah get burned without a daylight ring. Klaus doesn’t because he’s a hybrid, which you are not. You’re something else.”

“No, I’m an Original. I went through the same ritual Klaus’ family did to become Originals with the same spell, give or take a few adjustments.”

 “You might be an Original, but that can’t be all you are.” Josh said quietly. “It doesn’t make sense otherwise. Vampires can sense each other and I don’t get that vibe from you. Its like you’re half-Original and half-something else.”

Marcel and Gia nodded in agreement. “Well, you can stop staring at me like a circus freak. I answered your questions and now I’m bored. So I’m leaving.” Caroline said, walking towards the door.

“Wait!” Marcel called out. “How? How did you become an Original?”

“Sorry, that’s the one secret I can’t tell you.”

 

**The Bayou**

“You brought Jason’s killer here?” Oliver yelled when Kai and Enzo got out of the car.

“Look, mate. Your friend tried to kill me, I defended myself. I didn't kill anyone else though, which is progress for me.”

Oliver was about to respond when Kai interrupted. “Ok, can we get to why I got dragged out here before I die of old age?” Kai asked.

“Yeah, we want answers.” Jackson said, trying to regain control of the meeting. “Which you are going to give us.”

“What happens if I don’t?”

“You will, eventually. “ One of the older wolves said threateningly.

“Torture? You know that’s a really bad idea, right?” Kai said and was met with blank looks. “If you torture me, I’ll get mad and I won’t want to help you. What kind of backwoods idiot needs that explained to them?”

Aiden stepped forward trying to get back on topic. "I know I tried to kill your friend and all, but why did you destroy our rings?"

Kai looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about? What rings?"

"The ones that keep us from turning on the full moon. After you did whatever you did to me, my ring stopped working and so did a lot of other people's." Aiden said.

"One, its called siphoning. Two, I siphoned magic out of your blood, not your ring."

"Clearly, you did both." Oliver said, getting angry.

"I'm sorry, are you a siphoner? Do you know how any of this works? No, you don’t. So shut up before I resort back to my ‘siphon first and worry about survivors later’ mentality. I have to make physical contact with the thing I siphon, and since we weren't holding hands, I didn't take anything out of your stupid ring. Even if I did, it would have only affected the ring I touched."

"If it wasn't you, then it must have been one of Klaus' witches." Hayley said, not sounding surprised. “Makes sense, he hates what he can’t control and he doesn’t have much sway here.”

"Not if they all stopped working at once. That's too much for a single witch or even a coven. “ Enzo said from his spot by the trunk.

“How does a vampire know that?”

“I have dealt with witches before. Both before and after I died. More often than most vampires. There are a few ways this could have happened, but it all boils down to the same thing.”

"Which is?" Jackson said getting agitated with the Brit.

"She borrowed power to make the spell work and now that power is gone. "

"How do we get it back?"

"You don't even know who or what she used. And I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume her little helpers don't know and the other witches don't care. There is one other person who might be able to help." Enzo pulled out his phone and dialed. "Hello gorgeous. We have another magical mystery in our hands."

Hayley scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Do we really need the baby vampire Klaus is obsessed with for help?"

"Well let's see. Goldilocks is on good terms with the New Orleans witches for helping save Vincent. Her best friend is a Bennett witch, the Gemini coven owes her about five favors and she spent about four months studying rare and ancient magic. And, thanks to that studying, she's an Original now."

Everyone’s eyes snapped to Enzo when he said that. "What?"

"She found the right spell and the right person to perform it. That's why your buddy's little attempt at staking her got laughed off. " Kai said shrugging. “Which is more important to you, helping your pack or hating her?”


	12. Not all blondes are dumb, Hayley

**Freya’s hideout**

Freya paced nervously around the abandoned attic. She sent Finn to find Niklaus’ child and hadn’t heard back. Killing the baby shouldn’t have taken more than a day and she was beginning to worry. Deciding to be better safe than sorry, she began to perform a locator spell. She gasped in shock when nothing happened. The shock turned to rage when she realized the truth: the spell only worked on the living. Finn was dead. This meant war.

**The Bayou**

Caroline strolled into the cabin in the Bayou Kai had called from. She saw Enzo and one of the wolves at each other’s throats. Hayley stood in the corner glaring at her and a middle-aged man was looking at her curiously and giving her a strange vibe. Deciding to prevent another fight, she threw her keys at Enzo’s head and said. “Make yourself useful. There’s a box of grimoires in my trunk.”

“Always so bossy, gorgeous.” Enzo teased as he left the building. He returned a moment later carrying a large box.

Caroline sat down next to Kai and asked. “Why am I here?”

“The wolves had rings that helped them control their transformation. Apparently, right after our little tiff, they stopped working and they’d like to know why.” Kai answered.

“But why am I here?” she asked again.

“Because, Blondie, your vampire friend and the witch insisted you might be able to help.” Hayley snapped. Caroline turned to face the hybrid.

“You know what’s great about you being a hybrid now?” Caroline asked, before speeding over and snapping her neck. “It means I can do that.” The wolves began to growl at the blonde and she rolled her eyes. “Relax, she’ll be fine. She also had that coming. Now, tell me exactly what happened.”

Oliver was almost finished explaining when Hayley woke up. “What the hell?”

“It sucks, doesn’t it?” Caroline asked, before turning back to the others. “Now, did the rings lose power all at once or did it slowly fade?”

“We don’t know.” One of them said.

“It was sudden. I…I tried to bite you before staking you but my fangs wouldn’t work.” Another werewolf answered.

“And I’m guessing none of you know the spell that was used?” everyone shook their heads. “Ok, I can think of two ways this happened. Option one: Traveller magic purification ritual, it would undo most kinds of magic. There are a few issues, like, among other things, Hayley would be dead if it was that.”

“Why would I be dead?”

“It strips all non-Traditional magic out of an area. Like the Spirit magic that created vampires.” Enzo said, trying to get his point across without saying it.

“And?”

“And you had to die to become a hybrid. Without the Spirit magic, you’re just a dead werewolf.” Caroline said tersely. “Also, all the Travellers are dead.”

“Second option?”

“First, answer a question for me. Why’d Esther give you moonlight rings to begin with?”

“Something about convincing Elijah and Klaus to agree to become human.”

Caroline pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. “It’s times like this that I miss Katherine.”

“Did she kill you goldilocks?” Enzo asked.

“Yes. Katherine was manipulative, calculating and self-centered, but she was at least honest about her motivations. “ Caroline was met with blank stares. “Esther doesn’t want to turn her children back into humans out of some sense of motherly love or because she cares. Nature will not allow Esther to find peace as long as vampires exist. She’s hiding behind this ‘let’s be a family again’ facade. ”

“We all know by now that Esther’s a psychotic bitch. What’s the second explanation?”

“Esther reached into something to supplement her power and now that something is reaching back, reclaiming its power.” Caroline said.

“What could that something be?” Ansel, the werewolf that gave Caroline a weird feeling, asked.

“Let’s see: Nature turned against her when she created the Originals, so not that. Most benign magic wouldn’t work either for the same reason. The Other Side is gone, so no Spirit magic. Esther’s a control freak so she wouldn’t channel the Ancestors. That leaves the dark magics, but I don’t know which one or a very powerful dark witch.”

“The witches are being bitches again and you’re still as useless as you were two years ago.” Hayley spat out, still angry about her neck being broken. Caroline turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow. Hayley was about to continue when her spine snapped, followed by one of her femurs. For some reason, Hayley was shifting. “What’s happening to me? I can’t make it stop.”

The wolves looked at each other confused and then turned to the visitors. “The full moon isn’t for another week and a half.”

“Is this going to happen to the rest of us?” Ansel asked.

“Are you asking for yourself or for your son? You did come back from the Other Side for him.” Caroline asked.

The werewolves turned to look at Ansel in shock. “How-?”

“Did I know? You aren’t denying it, for starters. For me though, it’s the eyes. You have his eyes or I guess he has yours. Anyway, I’ve only seen those eyes in one other person, and I don’t believe in coincidences.” The blonde said. “And no, I’m not going to tell him, but you should. Preferably before certain other people beat you to it.”

“Back to Hayley, what’s happening?”

“Someone clearly wants her to suffer.” Caroline said. “Perhaps this is the hybrid equivalent to depowering your rings. Whoever it is, really doesn’t like werewolves.”

"Are we entirely sure this isn't Inadu's doing?" Ansel asked.

Caroline looked up in surprise; Ansel knowing about Inadu confirmed that he was much older than every other person present. "Nah, Inadu hates all of you. She wouldn't have let the spell work to begin with."

"Who's Inadu?"Jackson asked. He’d spoken with Ansel about the history and origins of their people but the older man had never mentioned this woman.

"Inadu was a powerful Native American witch who lived sixteen hundred years ago. She's the one who cursed your ancestors to turn into wolves."

"She created werewolves? Why?"

"She was the sole survivor of another village's attack. Since your ancestors slaughtered her people like animals, she thought they should become animals."

“And you’re sure it isn’t her?” Jackson asked. “She seems like a prime suspect.”

“I guess we can ask.” Caroline said, mostly to herself.

“Wait, she’s still alive?” Oliver asked.

“Of course she isn’t still alive you dumbass.” Kai said. “Witches can stretch Nature, but not that far.” He rolled his eyes and turned to Caroline. “How are you going to talk to a dead witch? Especially with the Other Side gone.”

“I have my ways.” Caroline said, “I just need to go home for ingredients.”

“Great. Enzo needs blood and you can give us a ride out of this swamp.”

“When I say home, I mean, _home_.”

**Bulgaria**

In the middle of the woods, a lone figure sat up and gasped for air. The brunette looked around wildly, wondering how she got from _there_ to near her old family home. She felt the sunlight on her skin and panicked, knowing what damage the sun could do to her kind. When she didn’t start burning, she smirked, “Katherine Pierce is back, bitches.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed Inadu's (the Hollow's) origins slightly because reasons.....  
> Oh and Katherine is back because Katherine


	13. What's in Mystic Falls?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The witches react to Finn's demise, Caroline goes home and Katherine doesn't know what to do.

**The City of the Dead**

Josephine stood in Lafayette Cemetery, reeling form her last conversation with the Ancestors. They were furious with yesterday’s events. If the Ancestors were correct, which was more than likely, saving Vincent may be damned every coven of New Orleans.

 “Josephine, I wanted to talk to you about-“ one of the Garden Coven elders said.

“That’s going to need to wait.” The Regent responded. “I’ve spoken with our Ancestors. We need to gather the elders. And Vincent Griffith.”

 The other witch nodded, leaving to contact the others. Half an hour later, all the elders had arrived and Josephine was waiting for Vincent. The man in question entered the cemetery looking nervous.

“Josephine. If this is about what happened when I was possessed, I can do nothing except apologize.”

“I cannot hold against you actions you did not take. We need to discuss what happened, but not today. You may leave.” The Regent waited until Vincent was completely out of earshot before continuing. “This is about what happened getting rid of Finn Mikaelson.”

“What about it?” one of the Treme elders asked.

“The Ancestors are displeased with how we got Vincent back. The witch who broke the link could harm us.”

“How? What exactly did they do?” one of the Ninth Ward witches asked.

“He absorbed the magic keeping Finn’s soul on this plane. He stated he could have taken all of Vincent’s magic, and that he’d taken an entire coven’s magic in the past. They do not want to admit it, but the Ancestors have never seen that ability before.”

“He’s still mortal. If he comes after any of us, any of the covens, we can just kill him.”

“The siphoner is a problem, but that’s not why you called us here, is it?” The Treme elder asked.

“No, its not. It’s about his blonde friend. The vampire who was an ‘expert’ on that boundary spell he used. The Ancestors are furious she’s here.”

“Why? She’s a young, run-of-the-mill vampire.”

“No, she’s not. No ordinary vampire has the ability to brush off a pain-infliction spell, especially one of mine. I also find it suspicious that she, not the siphoner or one of the Mikaelsons, knew that spell. The Ancestors sensed her presence days ago. She’s an Original, and one far more powerful than the hybrid.”

“How?”

“What is she, then?”

“The Ancestors will not say, which means one of two things. Either she’s something entirely new or she’s something very, very ancient. They believe she could destroy all of us.”

**The Abattoir**

Klaus walked into the Abattoir, happy that one enemy was defeated and the city was one step closer to being safe for Hope. He found the building empty and wondered where everyone was. A few moments later, Caroline walked right past him and upstairs. Startled by her ignoring him, he followed her. Entering her room, he saw her rummaging around looking for something. “Love, what’s going on?”

“I need to go back to Mystic Falls.” She said distractedly, throwing clothes into a bag.

Klaus felt his heart fall at her statement. “Why do you need to leave? I know we haven’t really talked, but I hoped you’d stay for more than a few days. Am I really that poor company?”

Caroline turned to face him when she realized how this looked. “I’m coming back. I just…need some unique items that I left there.”

“What do you need these rare items for? I do have connections, love.”

“I need to contact the dead. And before you interrupt, I found a way around the Other Side being gone. I told…an acquaintance I’d check something out for them.”

“What acquaintance?” Klaus asked, trying not to sound jealous. “Why is this so urgent?”

“I’d rather get this over with so they’ll owe me a favor. I’m trying to clear my schedule for when big sister arrives.” Caroline said. “I just need to home, grab like three things and come back. We can discuss you and I after.”

“At least let me be a gentleman and offer you some help.” Klaus said happy Caroline wasn’t leaving for good. “I do own a plane, and getting you to Mystic Falls and back quickly and safely suits my agenda.”

“Of course. And since you feel like sharing, I suppose I’ll share with you.” Caroline said. Klaus gave her an attentive look and she continued. “Your mother’s moonlight rings? They stopped working a few days ago, and no one knows why. The werewolves dragged Kai out to the Bayou looking for an explanation. I got him back, but the way I see it, you have a week and a half to take your city back. If you want it.”

“And this is why the werewolves will owe you a favor.” Klaus concluded. “You’re brilliant, love. “

“I know. You wanna call your pilot now?”

**Mystic Falls-The next day**

Caroline drove into Mystic Falls, debating where she needed to stop first. Both of the spell ingredients she needed were at the boardinghouse or close by, but her most useful and dangerous books were hidden in the floorboards of her house. The decision was made for her when Elena sped over to her car and tapped on her window.

“Care! Thank god you’re okay. You just disappeared and so did Enzo and no one, not even Jo knows where Kai is or what he’s doing. “ Elena got into the passenger seat and elaborated. “You need to come to the boardinghouse so we can plan.”

“Plan what?”

“What we’re going to do about Kai.”

“All right.” Caroline said, turning on the ignition and driving toward the Salvatore house. Hopefully, this ‘strategy session’ wouldn’t take very long and she could retrieve what she came for.

Walking into the boardinghouse, Damon and Stefan turned to look at her and the elder Salvatore said, “I guess Vampire Barbie is finally back from her shopping spree. Now we can actually plan.”

“Nice to see you too, Damon. Why am I here?”

“You, Enzo and Kai all went missing around the same time. That’s suspicious. You and Enzo, we weren’t worried about, but Kai is another story.” Matt answered.

“If this was such a problem, why didn’t one of you call me?” Caroline asked, already knowing the answer. Stefan refused to meet the blonde’s eyes.

“We didn’t realize you were gone, until a few days later. I figured you needed a few days to clear your head.”

“Anyway, back to Kai. We need a plan; we need to know where he is. We need a way to incapacitate him or send him back to 1994.” Alaric said.

“And no one, not even the Gemini coven, has tried locating him?”

“My family’s decided to take a ‘hands off’ approach, since his death kills all of us.” Liv said. “My dad is hoping if we ignore him, he’ll ignore us.”

“So basically a sociopath that no one can track is who-knows-where and we have no idea what he’s doing or how to stop him.”

“Well, maybe he isn’t up to anything.” Caroline said deciding enough was enough. She came to town for one reason, and it wasn’t to get sucked back into the Mystic Falls drama. “He might have left because he could.”

“Why would he?” Liv asked incredulously.

“I think he wanted an excuse to leave without going to Portland. We talked before I left. Everyone here hated him and everyone there hates him.” Caroline said, shrugging.

“Where is he?” Damon asked, threateningly.

“Why do you think I know?” Everyone looked ready to argue and she intervened. “Look, you wanted him out of town, he is. He’s somewhere else, and has no interest in coming back here. ” The others spent half an hour trying to change Caroline’s mind and failing. Eventually, everyone except Caroline, the Salvatores and Elena left. “As you probably guessed, Kai isn’t the reason I’m here.”

“No shit Blondie.” Damon said. “Why are you here then?”

“I left some stuff here before the Other Side collapsed and I wanted to get it.” Caroline answered. “I mean, you guys aren’t a self-storage place.”

“Whatever.” Damon said, effectively dismissing her.

“Great. It was nice seeing you too.” Caroline said before running upstairs. She entered the attic and smiled, the vial was still there. When Qetsiyah refused to help stop Katherine’s aging, the doppelganger stole some of her blood. Alive or not, Other Side or not, Qetsiyah’s blood still had magical properties. After Qetsiyah’s death, everyone got so consumed with the Augustine Society, Katherine’s death and the Other Side imploding, that the blood was left exactly where Katherine first hid it. “One down, one to go.”

Caroline then slowly snuck out of the house, and went searching for the second ingredient. An hour later, she was covered in dirt, driving towards her house, with both spell components safely tucked away in the trunk. She quickly ran into her house, and ran out a few seconds later, holding a duffle bag. With one last look at her home, she drove off.

Caroline’s flight had just taken off when her phone rang. “Hello?”

“Hey, Caroline. Where are you?” Rebekah asked, trying not to sound worried.

“I’m on my flight back to New Orleans, should be there in a few hours.”

“Good, because I…I um…I need your help. Kol needs your help. Soon.”

“With what?”

Caroline heard a sigh. “Finn wasn’t lying. He did something to Kol. He’s dying.”

The blonde’s entire attitude changed at the news. “What do you mean, Kol’s dying?”

“He started coughing up blood an hour ago with no explanation. We haven’t told Nik or Elijah yet.” Rebekah admitted. “I barely know magic and Davina wants to save him but she doesn’t know how.”

“Tell your brothers what’s happening. I’ll get started on finding a spell.”

**Paris**

Katherine sat in a bar overlooking the Seine. She spent two days trying to ignore the reality she woke up in. She was not human, and she wasn’t a vampire either. She felt an undeniable pull to head west and kept hearing things. The same voice, over and over, repeating one message. _Go west._ _You must find the heir. We let you out of Hell, we can put you back. You must find her._

“It’s right, you know.” Katherine turned and saw a blonde woman sitting next to her. Something about the woman gave her the creeps. “The voice you’re hearing? It’s telling the truth.”

“How do you know about that?” the brunette asked suspiciously.

“Because you’re going to lead me to her.”

“Why me? I don’t even know who ‘she’ is. And I don’t care. Whatever this heir to Hell business is, it’s not my problem.”

“Yes it is. You don’t have a choice here, Katherine. Either you find her, or you go back to Hell.”

“I didn’t ask to be released. Why’d they let me go to find some random woman anyway?”

“You two have already met.”


	14. Kol

Caroline exited Klaus’ plane milliseconds after it came to a complete stop. She made one call after getting off the phone with Rebekah and spent the rest of the flight researching hexes. Everything she knew told her that she couldn’t help Kol until she knew what he’d been cursed with. Speeding through the streets, she reached the Abattoir twice as fast as normal. Walking inside, she saw the three Mikaelson siblings, and Davina standing around Kol’s borrowed body.

“Thank god you’re here.” Rebekah said, noticing Caroline’s entrance.

“I told you, she can’t help me Bex. I’m a goner.“

“Don’t say that, Kol. I love you. I can’t lose you.” Davina said crying.

Caroline tried to compose herself and appear somewhat calm. “I might not be six million years old but you don’t know that I can’t help. “

“You can’t though. Finn hexed me, and I know enough about dark magic to know he made it irreversible.”

“Let’s prove him wrong then.” Caroline said, putting her bags down. She went upstairs and grabbed two books, giving one to Rebekah and the other to Elijah. She pulled three books out of one of her bags and handed one to Davina and another to Klaus. “Luckily, I brought the rest of my books here from Mystic Falls. All my magical knowledge is here.”

Davina opened her book and started skimming. Klaus attempted to do the same, but ran into a problem. “Love, this book isn’t written in any of the languages I speak.”

“Yes it is.” Caroline said firmly. All the books and grimoires she had were written in English, with some of the actual spells in another language. “It’s English.”

“No, it isn’t. It looks like an offshoot of Russian or another Slavic language.” The hybrid said, studying the letters themselves. “How are you reading it in English?”

“Fine.” Caroline said, rolling her eyes. She gave Klaus the book in her hands and took the one in his. “Try this one.”

Klaus looked warily at the book he was now holding but opened it nonetheless. He read a few sentences before looking up in shock. “How did you get this grimoire Caroline?” he asked furious.

The blonde turned to look at him, and then realized what book he was holding. She hadn’t given Klaus just any grimoire; she gave him Esther’s grimoire. The one he didn’t know she stole months ago. “Kol is dying, I’ll explain later.” The blonde went back to the tome in her hands.

“If we can’t save this body, could we put Kol in another body?” Rebekah asked.

“No. I’m stuck in this body. Finn made sure of that. Its why he was blackmailing me to find Hope.” Kol said quietly before losing consciousness.

Dejected, they went back to searching the grimoires. Elijah sighed as his proved to be useless. Closing the book, he noticed a distinct smell of decay in the room. Focusing on it, he realized the stench was coming from Caroline’s other bag.

“Miss Forbes. May I inquire as to why you have human bones in your bag?”

Caroline looked at Elijah for a moment and then looked away. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain it after we deal with this.”

Satisfied for now, Elijah picked up another book to search through. The group continued in silence, taking turns talking to Kol each time he awoke. After about an hour and a half, the group looked up when they heard a commotion outside the compound. Hayley, and another werewolf, one Caroline hadn’t seen two days earlier, came storming into the building.

“There you are. I thought you were going to help us.” Hayley stated.

“I still am, but something else has caught my attention. Something a little more immediate.” Caroline said, having gone back to her book. “You can wait.”

“No. You’re going to help us now.”

Klaus started to growl, but before he could harm or threaten Hayley, Caroline spoke. “Yes, because god forbid I help a friend instead of the whiny werewolf bitch that broke my neck. I’d leave if I were you.”

“Your stupid friends can wait. My pack is more important.”

Elijah decided to intervene. He had feelings for Hayley, but over the last few months he'd been shown a side of her he really didn’t like. “Your pack is not more important to me than my younger brother, who is dying again. I have already lost him once; I’m unwilling to do so again. Leave at once, or I will physically remove you from this building.”

“Elijah…I…”

“Get out Hayley. Or faulty moonlight rings will be the least of your problems.” Klaus threatened.

“Next time you want to talk to me, send Aiden or literally anyone else.” Caroline said as the brunette stormed out.

Kol started coughing up blood again. “I think I want to be alone for this bit.”

“I’m afraid that’s not an option.” Elijah said, standing.

“’Always and Forever’ is not something you just weasel out of brother.” Klaus chimed in. He grabbed his brother and ran upstairs, laying him down on a bed. The rest of the group, except Caroline who wanted to give them privacy, followed. Kol continued coughing and Davina began to whisper a spell over a necklace she was holding; a last ditch option to save Kol’s spirit.

“All my life, all I ever wanted was for you lot to care about me.” Kol said

Rebekah began tearing up, and spoke. “Kol, listen to me. You don’t have long. You’re going to die.” Kol started crying as well. “But you will die as a witch, and we will consecrate your body. You will join the Ancestors of New Orleans, and those spirits can be brought back. I promise you, brother, I will not leave this body until I find a way to bring you home.”

Kol started coughing harder and Davina ran over to him. “I tried a different spell. I don’t know if it will work.” She said crying.

“Its okay. I’m not scared.” Kol managed to say right before his body gave out. Davina and his siblings all broke down in sobs when they heard his last breath. A few minutes later, Caroline walked into the room.

“I’m so sorry.” She said, squeezing Klaus’ shoulder.

“At least we got to say goodbye this time.” Elijah stated.

“I’m gonna get him back.” Davina said. “I don’t care what it takes or what you think. I’m getting Kol back.”

“I know someone who might be able to help. They’re already on their way.” Caroline said. The others turned to look at her confused. “After Rebekah called me, I reached out to someone with some resurrection experience. I didn’t tell you because it was the last resort.”

“Who did you call?” Elijah asked.

“Bonnie. She’s brought back people on more than one occasion.” Caroline admitted before turning to Davina.“She might need another witch though.”

“Of course.”

“What will the Bennett witch’s help cost us though?” Klaus asked, suspicious.

“I guess we might just have to owe her a favor, Nik.” Rebekah answered. “If it gets Kol back, I don’t really care.”

The family was about to discuss whether they should wait to hear from Bonnie before consecrating Kol when they heard a loud bang from downstairs. Klaus turned to Rebekah and Davina and said, “Stay with Kol” before the others ran out. The Originals rushed down the stairs, while Caroline hung back, at the top.

As soon as they reached the bottom floor, Klaus and Elijah were incapacitated by an unknown blonde woman. “Hello brothers.”

“Let me guess, Freya?” Klaus asked. He then looked up at Caroline, who sped off.

“What did you do to our brother?”


	15. Freya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conversation where Finn tells Klaus about Dahlia never happened. All they know is that Finn and Freya want Hope dead, but they don’t know why.

_“Let me guess, Freya?” Klaus asked. He then looked up at Caroline, who sped off._

_“What did you do to our brother?”_

* * *

 

**Downstairs**

“What did you do to our brother?” Freya shouted.

“I dealt with a problem.” Klaus spat out.

“He’s our brother.”

“Who just killed our other brother,” Elijah added.

“Finn got exactly what he deserved.” Klaus said.

“And what about what you deserve?” Freya said before raising her hand to give them another aneurism. When pain infliction didn’t work, Freya made Elijah choke on the blood he recently consumed and nearly made Klaus shift into his wolf form.

* * *

 

**Upstairs**

Caroline ran across the top floor trying to find Kai, who was somewhere in the compound, unseen. Walking into what looked like a study, she found Kai and Enzo talking over a glass of scotch.

“Finally! Do you not hear what’s going on right now?”

“Relax, Clarice. Your boyfriend and his family are grieving their brother.” Kai said brushing her off.

“Yes, and to make matter worse, Freya is here.”

“Freya, the other witch I’m supposed to siphon? She’s here, now?”

“Yes. So if you could get a move on that’d be great.”

“I’m doing you a favor here. I can’t exactly sneak attack her now.”

“Well then, what am I supposed to do?”

“Take Enzo and buy me some time.”

Both vampires nodded and ran downstairs. Caroline stopped in on Rebekah and Davina, telling them to stay where they are no matter what they hear. Luckily, Freya’s back was to the staircase when they descended. An obscene amount of blood was on the ground next to Elijah, who was on his back groaning. Klaus seemed to be trying to fight off a massive aneurism caused by the blonde.

“Where is our brother?” Freya bit out once more.

“Dead. Both of them.” Elijah bit out.

“That’s not possible. I made sure he could body-jump if need be.”

“I’m afraid he’s right sweet cheeks.” Enzo butted in. “His spirit got forced out of the body he was in, and it just sort of floated away.”

The witch turned to glare at Enzo before focusing on him for a pain-inducing spell. “I’ve lived for a thousand years. Magic like that doesn’t just go away.”

“You’ve also been asleep for most of them.” He shot back. Freya began to get agitated and snapped his neck with her magic. Caroline stood there, wondering why Freya wasn’t attacking or even looking at her. Klaus and Elijah seemed perplexed as well. Caroline saw movement out of the corner of her eye and knew Kai was trying to get in position. She needed to stall for time.

“He’s telling the truth, sister. Finn is gone.” Elijah said, slightly less out of breath.

“Why? Why did you kill my best friend?” Freya asked, tears in her eyes. “He was your brother! How could you?”

“They didn’t have a choice.” Caroline yelled out, trying to keep Freya focused on her instead of her brothers. As soon as she spoke, Freya seemed to notice she was there. “Your brother wanted to kill a baby! His own niece! What were they supposed to do? Let Klaus’ daughter die?”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. The child will bring something far worse than any of you can imagine. ” Freya spat out before trying to give Caroline an aneurism. Concentrating all her energy on the blonde, she was shocked when all she got was a minor flinch from the vampire. Her eyes widened as she read the younger blonde’s aura. “What are you?” she asked fearfully.

“That’s the question of the week, isn’t it?” Kai said, sneaking up behind Freya. He grabbed her arm before she could turn around. “Now, I’d apologize for this, but I’m not that sorry.”

Freya fell to her knees and began gasping in pain. Elijah, Klaus and Enzo felt a weight get lifted off of them and stood. They watched in silence as Kai continued to siphon magic out of her.

“Are you going to kill me?” she whimpered.

“He’s doing this so I won’t have to.” Klaus said, not looking away from his sister’s eyes. “Rebekah and Elijah want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I cannot allow someone trying to kill my child into my family.”

“I don’t have a choice. I haven’t had a choice since long before you were born. Tell him to stop.”

“I don’t answer to him lady.” Kai said. “The only reason I’m here is to get what Blondie over there promised me.”

“What might that be? Eternal life? Money? Sex?”

“The power you’ve gathered over the last century. It’s like hitting the jackpot for someone like me.” Kai paused and took a breath. “Whew! This is a lot of magic. Did you know there’s some kind of linking spell on you? It’s like really old.”

“Like I said, I don’t have a choice.”

Kai shrugged and continued siphoning. A few moments later, Freya’s heartbeat began to slow down. “I guess this is my cue to stop.” He said, dropping her arm. “Please tell me you have some way to restrain her.”

“We do.” Elijah said, walking downstairs holding a pair of shackles. “Thankfully Camille hasn’t asked for these back yet.”

“What is a pair of old cuffs supposed to do?” Enzo asked.

“It’s a dark object. You put them on a witch, the witch can’t do magic with them on.” Klaus said. “Now we just wait for our dear sister to wake up and find out what this ‘greater evil’ is.”

“Whatever. A deal’s a deal Blondie. I siphoned the magic out of both your boyfriend’s problem siblings, so I’m leaving.”

“Where are you headed, mate?”

“I might have a chat with dear old Dad. Or maybe I’ll head somewhere else and wreak some havoc.”

“Fair enough.”

“You know, you could hold off for a few days. Bonnie’s on her way down.” Caroline suggested.

“I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to see me just yet. But points for trying.” Kai waltzed back upstairs.

Davina soon left to mourn in private and prepare Kol’s body for consecration. The vampires carried Freya to one of the unused bedrooms and waited around for her to wake. They saw her stir after about an hour and prepared themselves. She opened her eyes, looked around and sighed.

* * *

 

“Hello Sleeping Beauty.” Enzo said from the doorway.

“Where am I?”

“New Orleans. Where exactly in the city you are, is irrelevant.” Freya tried to fling Klaus across the room but couldn’t. She looked down at the shackles and realized she couldn’t remove them either. “Yes, those prevent you from using magic. I couldn’t risk you disappearing on us before we could chat.”

“You mean you want to interrogate me.”

“That’s a fitting description as well.” Klaus admitted. “How are you still alive? Rebekah told us you were asleep for the last century, but that does not explain the previous nine hundred years.”

“Did our mother ever tell you anything about Dahlia?”

“I don’t know who that is.” Elijah admitted, and Klaus shook his head.

“Dahlia is our aunt. When I was five years old, right before you were born Elijah, Esther gave me away to Dahlia and I’m guessing, told Mikael I died.”

“Why would she give her own child away?”

“Because she promised me to Dahlia. Esther was unable to conceive, so she went to her sister for help. Dahlia agreed to aid our mother, in return for the first child.”

“That doesn’t explain how you’re alive.”

“Dahlia is an extremely gifted and conniving witch. She figured out how to connect her magic to my own, allowing her to draw from me while also augmenting my power. She feared death, so she invented a way to leap frog over time, allowing us to keep our magic but not die. Neither of us can be killed by traditional means.”

“Why do you want to kill my child?”

“I don’t but I also can’t let Dahlia to take her.”

“Why would Dahlia come after an infant?”

“Esther promised Dahlia more than just one first-born. She promised her the first born of every generation.”

“But vampires cannot procreate, so my daughter is the only one. What will she do to her?”

“The same as she did to me. Connect her magic to the child’s and enslave your daughter. For her, it will be worse than it was for me.”

“How could it be worse?”

“I am an ordinary, albeit powerful, witch. Your daughter has witch as well as werewolf and vampire genealogy. Dahlia would be free from having to sleep for a century if your daughter is bound to her. She’d be unstoppable.”

“That does sound terrifying. The fact remains, she can’t take what she cannot find.” Klaus said.

“Dahlia can sense magic. Your daughter’s abilities will serve as a beacon and lead her here.” Freya said starting to get fed up with Klaus’ arrogance. “However powerful our mother became, Dahlia is far worse. You don’t stand a chance without me.”

“How convenient for you then.”

“Look, believe me, don’t believe me, it doesn’t matter. Dahlia will come soon and I’m the only one who knows well her enough to know her weak spots.” Klaus rolled his eyes and Elijah didn’t speak or move. “Other than me, your only hope is her and she doesn’t even know what she is.” Freya said pointing at Caroline.

“I know what I am. I’m an Original.”

“That’s not all you are. I haven’t felt something like you since the 13th century.”

“Then what am I?”

“Something ancient and something powerful. Dahlia and I came across someone like you once, a man, and she wanted his power. She tried again and again to channel him, bind him to her, none of it worked. Her magic couldn’t affect him.”

Klaus and Elijah looked at each other and then at Caroline. “I think you have some more explaining to do sweetheart.”


	16. Questions need answers, Caroline

Leaving Freya upstairs, Caroline, Enzo and the Mikaelsons went down to Klaus’ study to discuss recent events. Caroline stood nervously hoping this conversation didn’t get dangerous. No one there could kill her, she knew, but they could harm her and the blonde hated pain.

“I suppose I’ll ask the lingering question, how did you become an Original Miss Forbes?” Elijah asked.

 “Pretty much the same way your mother made you Originals. But I did have to make a few adjustments.”

“What adjustments?” Rebekah asked.

“You can’t fool Nature the same way twice. I know it makes me sound like a hippie but Nature is a living force, it learns. The Immortality Spell can only be recreated if at least one original ingredient is replaced with something else.”

“What did you replace with what?” Klaus asked.

**SEPTEMBER 2012**

Caroline stood impatiently in the herbal remedy shop. She drove all the way to Salem to find a witch experienced enough to give her answers. How long did it take to close one store for ‘mechanical malfunctions’? the blonde was about to resort to threatening when the door to the storage room opened.

“All right, vampire. What do you want?’

Caroline slid a worn-out piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to the witch. “I need to know which of these ingredients I can’t substitute with something else.”

The witch read the list quickly and looked up at Caroline dumbfounded. “You can’t be serious. This spell shouldn’t have been invented, much less improved upon.”

“I’m not trying to improve it.” Caroline said, thankful she was a theater major and getting quite good at pretending. “I’m trying to stop someone else from performing it.”

The witch studied her for a moment and spoke. “Only one thing on this list has an acceptable substitute.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Instead of the sun, a witch could use the moon or an eclipse.”

“What about something a little rarer?”

“Like a comet or alignment? Sure that could work. ”

“But everything else has to be exactly what she used?”

“Yes, but there is some wiggle room for the first one.”

“How?”

“You don’t actually need a White Oak tree, a branch or something else made from the wood works.”

“Would ash for it work?” Caroline asked, remembering the vial of White Oak Ash Stefan still had from daggering Rebekah. She just needed someone to get it, Matt perhaps.

“I don’t see why not. Everything else is going to be hard to find. And they’d need another branch of magic with the Other Side gone.”

“Could they use a talisman that held some residual Spirit Magic?”

“Yeah, but it would need to belong to a pretty powerful witch.”

“Thank you.” Caroline said and headed towards the exit. “Oh wait, one more thing.” She turned back around and broke the witches neck. “Now I’m done.”

**PRESENT DAY**

“You killed the witch?”

“I killed a lot of witches in those two motnhs.”

“How’d you get around the whole doppelganger issue? There are no Petrova doppelgangers left.”

“Yes, but the spell didn't say which doppelgänger it had to be, and a doppelgänger of Silas did die as a human a few months ago." Caroline turned to Enzo, "you remember Hazel right? That witch you killed. She wasn't just cloaking Tom, she borrowed some of his blood and since the Travellers' spell didn't reach Atlanta-"

"It kept its supernatural properties."

"Yes it did, so I had all those ingredients, plus the extra one."

"The extra one?"

"Turning a human into an Original is a little simpler than turning an existing vampire into an Original. I needed something to undo the blood magic that bound my life to yours. Luckily, you sent me some of your blood when I told you about the Ripper virus."

Klaus and Elijah were both shocked into silence. In two short months the blonde manages to recreate and improve upon Esther’s most powerful spell.

“I think I know why everyone keeps asking you what you are, goldilocks.” Enzo said.

“And why is that?”

“Because the witch upstairs was right; you’re not just an Original.” Everyone gave him a strange look. “You told me their mother made them vampires in order for them to be immortal and superior to the werewolves.”

“She did.” Elijah said.

“Blood has a lot of uses in magic. It’s possible that when you used his blood to sever the link between you two,” Enzo pointed back and forth between Klaus and Caroline, “it made you into something more powerful than him.”

“Like what?”

“I have no idea, but I sense something different about you, I don’t get pure vampire vibes from you like I do Elijah or one of the Salvatores. Hell, everyone does ever since you came back from your humanity-free vacation. It's possible unlinking you awakened some latent ability.”

“That would explain why you think everything you read is written in English.” Klaus suggested.

“Can we shelf that question for another day? I feel like there’s more you want to know.”

“You’re correct, love. How exactly did you get my mother’s grimoire? It’s been here under lock and key since the day Hope was born.”

“Well, clearly it hasn’t, Nik, or she wouldn’t have it.” Rebekah retorted. “How did you get it though?”

Caroline paused for a second, debating where to start. “As I told you, my first thought after turning my humanity off was removing myself from the sireline.”

“And?”

“And, the best place to start was by finding the spell your mother used to connect the sireline. Which only existed in her grimoire.”

 

**AUGUST 2012**

**Baton Rogue**

**“** I need you to do something for me.” Caroline said walking up to a young redhead with no introduction.

“And why would I do that?” Iris asked.

“Because I know you’re a witch. Just like I know your friend over there is an untriggered werewolf.” Caroline pointed to a teenage boy on the other side of the café. “It would be a shame if he activated his curse.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, well actually I’m threatening, that if you don’t do me this favor, Ben over there has been compelled to activate his curse by killing your sister.”

“She’ll stop him.”

“No, she won’t. Because the only way to stop him is to kill him, and I don’t think she’ll actually kill her sister’s boyfriend.”

The witch sighed, resigned and asked. “What do you want from me?”

Caroline pulled out a piece of paper with an address on it. “The full moon is tonight. All you need to do is go into the house, and steal something from the safe. A very old spellbook.”

“Why does the full moon matter?”

“Because it’s the one night a month that the owner is preoccupied.”

“So I go in, steal the book and Ben’s safe? There’s a catch, there has to be one.”

“No there isn’t.” Caroline said lightly. “But you only have two hours after the moon rises.”

 

Hours later, Caroline sat in her car wondering where Iris was. Her sister, who thankfully hadn’t learned magic yet, and Ben were tied up in the backseat. “You better hope she shows. Otherwise its gonna get a little murder-y in here.”

Caroline was about to compel Ben when Iris appeared with an old-looking book in her arms. “You didn't tell me I was stealing from the Originals.”

“You didn’t ask. How’d you even know?”

“The Abbatoir is infamous among witches.”

“Either way, you got the book. Give it to me and you can leave.”

“I don’t think I will.” Iris said, suddenly growing bold. “You don’t have magic; the book is useless to you.”

Caroline rolled her eyes. “I didn’t want to resort to this.” She sped around the car and pulled Iris’ sister out of the car. “Put the book on the ground and walk away, or I tear her heart out.”

“You do that, you lose your leverage.”

Caroline loosened her grip slightly. “You know, youre right. Maybe I’m rushing things. I’ll rephrase it. Put the book on the ground walk away or, for every second I don’t have it, I break one of her bones.”

Iris’ eyes widened and her sister began whimpering. Ben had gotten out of the car and looked around, confused about what was going on. Iris quickly realized she’d underestimated the blonde and out the book on the ground. Caroline then turned to Ben.

“Pick up the book and put it in the car.” He ran over and grabbed it, walking slowly back to Caroline’s car and hoping Iris had a plan. He did as instructed and stood waiting. Caroline pulled a knife out of her jacket and stabbed Iris’ sister directly in the heart. “Sorry, I can’t leave a trail. Kill the sister, then yourself.” Caroline got back in her car and watched as her orders were carried out. She left the bodies in the wooded area to be found later.

**Present Day**

“I didn’t quite know how to sneak it back into the safe without any of you finding out.” Caroline said as she finished her story. “You’ll notice I did remove the pages pertaining to the Immortality Spell.”

“Yes I see that.”

“One last question, Miss Forbes. What are the bones for?”

“They aren’t just any bones. It’s Amara’s skull, who was the Anchor to the Other Side for two thousand years. I didn’t feel comfortable just leaving it in Mystic Falls.”

“But Amara was human, she died as a human.” Enzo said.

Caroline rolled her eyes. “Do you really think she could be the Anchor to the Other Side for two millennia and not end up being the least bit supernatural? Her soul died human, yes, but her bones are another story. Plus, I need it.”

“What do you need a dead woman’s skull for?”

“Aesthetic. Contacting the dead using Amara’s skull looks cooler than using some random bone.”

Everyone stared for a second before Rebekah asked, “why do you need to contact the dead?”

“Because the werewolves are paranoid and everything that happens to them has to be Inadu’s fault. She’s like their version of Klaus and Satan all rolled into one. From what I know about her, punishing the wolves form the grave isn’t her style.” 

* * *

 

**NEW YORK**

Katherine got off her flight from Paris and stared at the blonde woman, Desdemona, dumbfounded. As the plane landed, Desdemona dropped a huge revelation on the brunette. “Caroline? As in Caroline Forbes? She’s the one I’m supposed to lead you to?”

“Yes. Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Have you met her? Blondie doesnt exactly give off the ‘child of Lucifer’ vibe.”

“I thought we already covered this. There is no actual Lucifer. The Devil, or Satan, is the titles given to the ruler of Hell, and his name is Asmodeus.”

“Whatever. My point is, she hasn’t got it in her.”

“It’s not about her personality, Katherine. It’s about her blood. Like it or not, she’s the descendant of Asmodeus.”

“And you’re here because?”

“Because, she’s gonna need help accessing her full powers. And I’m uniquely qualified.”

* * *

**Fulton County, Kentucky**

A raven-haired woman sat up gasping. She looked around and found nothing familiar nearby. Looking down, she saw her body had been repaired somehow. Gazing up at the sun, she smirked to herself. The sun didn’t shine in the Afterlife. “I’m back. I can’t believe he actually brought me back,” she chuckled.

Looking around, she saw that her village was gone, but that wasn’t surprising. Centuries had passed since her death and progress means leaving things behind. She stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothing. First, she needed to figure out what she was. Focusing on a pile of leaves by her feet, she concentrated. A few moments later, she laughed as the leaves began to levitate on their own. “Oh, good, I still have my powers. Time to get moving.”

The woman closed her eyes and just felt. She knew her powers would guide her to where she saw needed, the reason for her resurrection. She gasped when she felt the sheer power coming the land south of her. it could only mean one thing: the heir had begun exhibiting her powers. “I hope I don’t get dismembered and burned alive this time.”


	17. Resurrection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things I’ve changed-Bonnie, Kai and Damon all escaped during that first attempt. No one knew what Kai had done until he returned to the normal world and the Parkers freaked out that he’d escaped. (I.E. Kai didn’t stab or torture Bonnie)

“So tell me, big sister, how do you plan on defeating Dahlia?” Klaus said, walking into Freya’s room two days after Freya’s arrival.

She stared at him for a moment before replying. “Everything has a weakness.” Freya said vaguely. “I just need to find hers.”

“So you don’t know how to defeat her.” Klaus said. “Why didn’t I kill you again?”

“Because I’m your sister and Elijah wouldn’t let you. I might not know how to kill her, but unlike you, I know how Dahlia thinks. I spent years trapped with her and you only just heard of her. “

“I’d suggest you think of something soon.”

Elijah walked in right as Klaus spoke. “Niklaus do not threaten our sister. She may be a threat, but she is family.” He then turned to Freya. “I apologize for having to restrain you and for Niklaus’ behavior. Over the last millennium, his paranoia has gotten out of hand.”

“She tried to kill Hope.” Klaus said defensively.

“And you killed our mother, and spent 900 years continuously daggering your own siblings. What’s that saying about glass houses again?”

Freya gave Elijah a small smile, while Klaus glared at his brother. The stare-down between brothers was ended when they heard a scream from downstairs. Rushing downstairs, they saw Caroline embracing someone.

“Bonnie!!! You’re here!” Caroline said hugging the witch.

“Caroline, you saw me three days ago.”

“Yeah, but Damon was being all Damon and everyone was arguing about Kai.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. I think he should know by now to appreciate radio silence.”

“Why would Damon care about Kai? Other than his attitude problems, I see no reason for concern.” Elijah asked. “Nice to see you again Miss Bennett.”

“You’ve met Kai?”

Caroline took a deep breath and confessed. “I wasn’t totally honest with everyone. Kai came with me to New Orleans. He left yesterday for some alone time. Enzo came with us too.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“He’s trying, and no matter what I said, Damon wouldn’t have settled for just leaving him be.”

“Again, why is Kai Damon’s concern?”

“Shortly after Kai absorbed his brother’s magic, he became the leader of the Gemini Coven. If Kai dies, so does every other coven member, including Alaric’s girlfriend. Damon doesn’t want Kai to die, but he wants him to not be on this plane.”

“As interesting as Damon’s thought process sounds, I’m pretty sure that’s not why Caroline called you, Bonnie.”

Bonnie stood a little straighter and said, “I hate to admit it, but Klaus is right. Where’s the other witch?”

“I will go call Davina.” Elijah said walking away.

About ten minutes later, a brunette teenager came into the compound. She looked determined but her eyes were still watery. “Hey, I’m Davina.”

“Bonnie. Bonnie Bennett. Are you all right?”

“I’ll be fine. I just want him back.”

“Want who back?” Bonnie asked. “Caroline didn’t tell me who I was resurrecting.”

“Our brother.” Elijah said, looking slightly anxious. He was worried Bonnie’s agreement to help would change once she found out how she was bringing back.

“Which brother?” she asked with an edge to her voice.

“Kol.”

“For a second there, I thought you were gonna say Henrik or your mystery older sibling or something.” Bonnie sighed and relaxed. “Fine, I’ll bring him back.”

“Really? That’s all the convincing you need.” Caroline asked incredulously.

“I made a lot of mistakes when I started doing Expression. Kol’s death was a result of that obsession. I guess I feel like I owe him, somehow.” Bonnie explained. “So, where’s his body?”

“We consecrated the body he was possessing, and just died in, yesterday.” Davina answered a little wary.

Bonnie looked at the group confused. “He was possessing someone? How?”

“Our mother pulled herself and him from the Other Side before it collapsed.” Klaus spat out. “Before you ask, I have my mother handled.”

“I honestly don’t care. I still need his actual body, not the one he was possessing.” Bonnie said crossing her arms. “I know it was damaged by the White Oak Stake but I’ll repair it.”

“Why do you need the original body?”

“Because, if I bring Kol back in someone else’s body, I’m denying his host’s soul the chance to join his Ancestors or find peace. The reason why is a little technical, but I need to bring Kol back as an Original.”

Klaus and Elijah went to fetch Kol’s coffin and Davina left to find Rebekah before the resurrection, leaving Caroline and Bonnie alone.

“Are you going to tell me what you did to yourself now?” Bonnie asked out of the blue. Caroline gave her a questioning look. “I can sense something different about you. I have ever since I returned from the prison world.”

“Oh, that.” Caroline said looking away. “Promise not to yell until I’m completely done?” Bonnie nodded. “After my mom died, I turned my humanity off. I searched for a way to remove myself from Klaus’s sireline, until I found one. I had to become an Original to do it though.”

“So you’re an Original now.”

“That’s not all.” Caroline admitted. “I don’t know what else the spell did, but it didn’t just make me an Original. I know things…things I never learned and shouldn’t know. And I have no idea why.”

“But you’re okay though?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Caroline said before starting to panic. “You can’t tell anyone though. Not Elena, not Jeremy and certainly not Damon.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.” Bonnie said. She was going to continue but Klaus and Elijah had returned with the coffin. “Can one of you get Davina for me?”

Elijah nodded and returned with Davina and another witch in tow. “Bonnie, I believe you know my sister Rebekah.”

“It’s a long story.” The newcomer said when she saw Bonnie’s confused face. “Let’s bring the fun brother back, shall we?”

Bonnie nodded and began taking things out of her bag. “Ok. Elijah, I need you to bleed into this bowl. Klaus, go stand over there, I don’t need you crowding me.”

“Don’t you need my blood as well, love?”

“No.” Bonnie said, purposefully avoiding Klaus’s gaze.

“And why is that?” he asked, suspicious.

The Bennett witch closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning to look at the hybrid. “Are you really going to make me say it?” Klaus continued staring at her. “Elijah and Kol have the same parents. You and Kol only have the same mother. The spell may not work with your blood.”

Klaus looked like he was about to go on a tangent about being a bastard when Caroline spoke. “Ok, so what next?”

Bonnie dipped her hand in the blood and placed it onto Kol’s chest. “Now, I use the blood to heal his wounds. I need to channel someone.”

Klaus stepped forward. “So you do need my assistance after all.” Bonnie rolled her eyes and put her other hand onto Klaus’s shoulder.

“I should tell you, this is gonna hurt.” Bonnie began chanting under her breath. Klaus gasped a few seconds later and almost doubled over right before she let go of him.

“What the hell was that?”

“I transferred the injury and pain of Kol’s death to you without the actual dying part. It allowed his body to heal and you, as a hybrid, will recover soon.” Everyone looked at Kol’s body and noticed the burns and gaping hole in his chest were gone. “Now, for the actual resurrecting.”

Bonnie flipped through her grimoire and found the page she wanted. She read the page over a few times before looking up at everyone. “Ok, to play it safe, Davina and I need to channel all three of you.” Bonnie said looking at Klaus, Elijah and Caroline. “Davina stand on this side of me. Caroline, the other side. Klaus next to Caroline and Elijah between Davina and Klaus.” She said, pointing each person to the right place in turn. “Davina, I want you to take my hand and hold the other one above the body. The rest of you, hold hands. Caroline put one hand on my shoulder, Elijah do the same to Davina.”

Everyone did as they were told and Bonnie began chanting. “Phasmatos exaud mi, conjug spiritis et corpe. Phasmatos exaud mi, conjug spiritis et corpe.” Davina joined in a few moments later. Bonnie’s nose began to bleed and she dropped her hand. “It’s not working.”

Caroline then remembered what Freya had said about Dahlia trying to channel ‘something like her’. Maybe Caroline couldn’t be channeled either. “Try just channeling Klaus and Elijah. Or I can grab Enzo?”

Bonnie gave Caroline a strange look and then nodded. “I’ll try it with just two. But tell Enzo to come down here just in case.”

Everyone resumed their positions and Bonnie began chanting again. Caroline watched in anticipation to see what would happen. After a few minutes of nothing, the blonde felt a shift in the air. A second later, Kol gasped and sat up.

“That was rather unpleasant.” Kol said wearily. “Thanks for the help, Little Witch.” He said to Bonnie before turning to Davina. “I knew you could do it, darling.”

Rebekah, Elijah and Klaus came over to hug their brother, each warning him to ‘never scare them like that again’ and the Original laughed. Davina and Kol spent some time ‘reuniting’ before she left to hang out with Josh. Enzo came downstairs after the spell had finished and convinced Bonnie to have a drink with him. Caroline didn’t want to intrude on the Mikaelson reunion and left to ‘deal with something’.

“It’s good to have you back, little brother.” Klaus said, not wanting to sound too happy with Kol.

“And in top form, too.” Kol added cheekily. “On a more serious note, do you know what your blonde friend is? The Ancestors really do not like her.”

“We have no idea. The only person who’s seen anything like her is our older sister, who along with being light on details, only knows she’s come across ‘something like her’ centuries ago.” Elijah said.

“Do the Ancestors know?” Klaus asked paranoid.

“No, that’s why they hate her. Oh, and they also felt two disturbances in Nature since she’s arrived. Has she demonstrated any strange abilities? I was busy dodging the Ancestors and watching over Davina.”

“Magic doesn’t affect her.” Klaus answered. “She might have also cloaked herself from Freya somehow.”

“Anything she reads, even dead languages, appears to her in English. “ Elijah added.

This caught Kol’s interest. “Everything she reads? Does she know it’s a different language or did she think it was always English?”

“The latter I believe. She seemed surprised when I said one of her grimoires was written in an old Slavic language I couldn’t read. “ Klaus admitted. Kol’s eyes widened and Klaus got suspicious. “What do you know?”

“Omnilinguisitic, resistant to magic, possible ability to cast illusions. I think…and this is a long shot…but I think your girlfriend might be a conjuror. “

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kol is back! And he might know what Caroline is. 
> 
> I told someone earlier that 'the "heir to hell" thing is a side effect of what Caroline is' which is true, but what she is remains a mystery...


	18. It's called a secret for a reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kol explains his theory, some Bonnie/Enzo stuff and Caroline learns the hard way not to share information with people she barely knows

**The Abattoir**

_“I think your girlfriend might be a conjuror. “_

“Isn’t a conjuror just another term for a witch?” Rebekah asked.

“No. Witches are humans, gifted humans but humans nonetheless. Conjurors or sorcerers as their called in some parts of the world, aren’t human. They’re also more powerful and a lot more rare.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“I’ve heard…rumors of beings. Far more powerful than any witch and more powerful than even some entire covens. How they came to be is unknown, but some legends mention selling ones soul.”

“Caroline sold her soul? Is that what you’re saying?” Klaus asked. “Why? To make Mother’s spell work?”

“Either she did or an ancestor did. Mother’s spell could have awoken that latent ability.” Kol said shrugging. “I don’t know enough about conjurors to say. They’re an incredibly closed and tight-lipped community.”

“No one can tell her. Not until we know for sure.” Klaus stated solemnly.

“Are you sure about this Niklaus?” Elijah asked.

“Kol said it’s a long shot. I’d rather not tell Caroline she’s damned for eternity unless I have to.”

* * *

 

**Rousseau’s**

“So, Bonnie Bennett, you brought the wild Original back. What’s next on your Big Easy to-do list?” Enzo asked teasingly.

“I haven’t figured that out yet.” Bonnie said honestly. “I thought I’d be here at least a few days before do any actual resurrecting.”

“And now you have all this free time. Whatever shall you do?” Enzo mocked.

“Yeah, laugh all you want but I’m overdue for a vacation.”

“I’m not disputing that. I’m just wondering how long I’ll be graced with your radiant presence.” He said flirtatiously.

“Until I get sick of seeing your face.” She shot back. “In all seriousness, I hope I get to stay for awhile. For the first time in years, Mystic Falls isn’t on the verge of exploding and there’s no supernatural threat other than Damon’s ego. Plus, I think Caroline might need me.”

“With coming to terms with her transition? She seems fine.”

“You don’t know her like I do. She’s freaking out.”

* * *

 

**Abandoned Warehouse**

“Do you think she can hear us?” Caroline heard someone say. She didn’t open her eyes since she was pretending to be immobilized. The voice sounded familiar but the blonde couldn’t place it.

“Not with that blade in her chest.” Came the reply.

Caroline was jostled slightly, and her mind registered an intense pain coming from her abdomen. A second later, the pain subsided and the blonde felt fine.

* * *

 

**A few hours earlier**

Caroline was walking through the French Quarter thinking. Her transition, the awkwardness with the Mikaelsons, and worries about Dahlia and Esther weighed heavy on her mind. She was debating reaching out to Alaric for information when she heard her name being called.

“Hey, Caroline.” Josh said running up to her. “How are you?”

“Ok, I guess. What’s up?”

Caroline didn’t hear his response, as someone stabbed her in the back. She felt the familiar burn of werewolf venom enter her bloodstream before blacking out. She heard someone tell Josh good job.

* * *

 

**Algiers-A few days earlier**

_“Wait!” Marcel called out. “How? How did you become an Original?”_

_“Sorry, that’s the one secret I can’t tell you.”_

Marcel watched Caroline leave his apartment warily. He waited until he saw her exit the building before talking. “Seems fishy to me.” He said to Gia and Josh. “A previously unheard of Original showing up like this, now.”

“What do you mean?” josh asked.

“Another Original comes to New Orleans right around the time Rebekah goes missing and Esther, Mikael, Finn and Kol come back from the dead. An Original no one else has ever heard of who just happens to know everything that’s happened here in the last year. “

“The timing is suspicious.” Gia admitted.

“There’s something else too. How do we know she actually is an Original?”

“She survived getting staked and doesn’t get burned by the sun.” Josh reminded him.

“There are protection spells that could do that, and plenty of witches she could talk or threaten into performing them. You said it yourself, she doesn’t feel like a vampire.” Marcel said mostly to himself.

“So what do we do?” josh asked.

“We test her and see what happens. If she passes, we persuade her to share how she did it.”

“What do you mean test her?”

“If she’s an Original, she can survive things you and I can’t. Like Papa Tunde’s blade or werewolf venom. If she survives, we know the truth. ”

“And if she doesn’t Klaus might just kill us.”

“If she dies, we’ll blame it on the wolves or the witches. If she lives, we’ll have the first vampire in ten centuries to become an Original as a prisoner.”

“Except Originals are crazy strong and we don’t have any of those daggers Klaus used on his family.”

“We have Papa Tunde’s blade which restrained him before. Logic suggests it will work on her. All we need is a little distraction.”

* * *

 

**Present**

Whoever took Caroline left her lying on the floor of the abandoned warehouse. If she wasn’t so angry, and a little amused, she would have been insulted. When she awoke from her werewolf venom nap, she was in the back of a van. Before she could escape the vehicle, one of her captors noticed she was awake and stabbed her with a strange looking knife. It wasn’t one of Klaus’ daggers or any kind of stake. It buried itself in her chest and the vampires who took her seemed to think she was contained for now. She didn’t have time to formulate a plan before her body was being carried into the warehouse.

When Caroline heard the men leave, she sat up for a moment. Looking around she saw the building was empty but she could sense someone was keeping guard outside. Escaping was going to be difficult.

_“Why bother escaping?” she heard a male voice ask. The guard didn’t seem to hear anything and didn’t react._

“Hello?” she whispered as quietly as possible. “Who’s there?”

_“I have many names little one. You certainly have made a mess of things.”_

“What are you talking about?”

_“It was a mistake, telling everyone what you are. Did you expect no one to care? For no one to come after you? You painted a giant target on your back and then walked away.”_

“What are you talking about?”

_“You told Marcel Gerard you were an Original. You told him you used a spell to become one. Did you really think he wouldn’t try to pry the secret out of you?”_

“Great, I’m gonna get tortured again. It’s not like he can kill me. I didn’t think he’d be stupid enough to try anything though. I thought his past with Klaus would have waved him off.”

_“Never underestimate the stupidity of others. Niklaus’ reputation as a threat was earned, yours has not.” The voice said knowingly. “Although in this case, his stupidity helps you. And Caroline? Being immortal and being invulnerable are two very different things.”_

“How do you know my name?”

_“I know many things. It would take years to tell you everything. Back to Marcel.”_

“What about him?”

_“You don’t find it strange that he left you, an Original, just lying on the floor of this building, with nothing but a vampire standing guard outside?”_

“I do find it weird.”

_“It’s rather unfortunate, isn’t it? When what you don’t know still hurts you.” The voice said waxing philosophical. “In Marcel’s case, he really had no way of knowing.”_

“No way of knowing what?”

_“He left you alone here because he believes the knife in your chest will keep you incapacitated, but the blade does not work on you. It’s been used to immobilize both Elijah and Niklaus’ Mikaelson to the point that they could barely move. Yet on you, it does nothing.”_

“I wouldn’t say hearing voices coming from nowhere is nothing.”

_“Yet my first question remains. Why bother escaping, when you can stay and fight Marcel?”_

“I don’t want to.”

_“If you leave now, he’ll come after you again. Or the witches will. Or the werewolves. Stay and face the consequences of your actions. Learn from this that they are called secrets for a reason.”_

“Fine. Strange disembodied voice. I won’t run away.”

_“One last thing: don’t tell Marcel the blade doesn’t work on you. That wouldn’t show much growth or brains, would it?”_

Caroline heard footsteps begin to approach and closed her eyes, pretending to be in pain once again.

“All right boys. Chain her up and we can get some real answers.” Marcel’s voice said from next to Caroline’s leg.

A moment later, Caroline felt her body being lifted and placed onto a wooden chair. She groaned to sound believable. She felt a burning sensation as something covered in vervain was secured around her wrists and ankles. She snapped her eyes open as she felt a hand reach into her chest. She gasped when she saw Marcel pull the blade out.

“Hello Caroline.” Marcel said like he hadn’t just kidnapped someone.

“Ugh. You. “

“Me. You survived Papa Tunde's blade and the wolf venom. Congratulations, you really are an Original.”

“I told you that days ago.”

“But you didn’t really prove it, did you?” Marcel asked. “But now you have. Which means you just became valuable to me.”

“I’ll try not to be insulted by what that suggests. What do you want?”

“I want a real answer this time. How did you become an Original? What is the spell?”

“Let me guess, you want to be one too?” Caroline didn’t need Marcel to say anything; his entire kidnapping plot spoke for itself. “Or do you just want to no longer be linked to Klaus?”

“Answer the question.”

Caroline shrugged. “Or what? We’ve established that I’m an Original, what can you possibly do to me?”

“I may not be able to kill you, but I can hurt you.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Caroline said. Every time someone tortured her, the threats got less and less scary.

Caroline stared at Marcel when she felt a needle jab into her arm. She felt a familiar burn and turned to face one of the other vampires. “Oh my god, vervain. And barely enough to hurt. Let me spill all my secrets to you, the person who kidnapped me.” She said sarcastically. Marcel then staked her in the stomach and she groaned.

“We just wanna know how you did it. Then you can leave, no harm done.”

“No harm done? Does that include when I feed you this guy’s eyeballs?” she said, gesturing to the vampire who injected her with vervain. “Or when I escape and kill you all.”

“You’re chained to that chair and there’s a dozen of us versus one of you. You’re not going anywhere. Tell me what I want to know.”

“Why? It won’t do you any good.”

“Yes it will. Spells can be recreated and spells can be undone.”

“Not this spell.” Caroline said smugly.

“I guess I’ll give you sometime to mull over your options. Let you realize that you don’t owe Klaus or his siblings any type of loyalty.” Marcel walked up to the blonde and stabbed her with the dagger again. The rest of the room watched as it buried itself in her chest.

Caroline feigned being affected for a few minutes and Marcel spoke again. “Maybe a day with that blade in your chest will change your attitude.”

Caroline opened her eyes but didn’t look up. She heard the voice again.

_“Very smart. Goading him into using the blade on you once again. Very devious. If only you weren’t chained to a chair and surrounded by enemy vampires though.”_

The blonde thought for a moment. She tested the strength of the chains while Marcel was threatening. She could break through them, but not with everyone watching.

Caroline heard one of Marcel’s vampires snorting; clearly amused that Marcel had the upper hand over an Original. It was starting to annoy her. She focused most of her energy and senses on him, blocking the others out. He said some rather vulgar things about her to Marcel who laughed. When she felt the vampire in question playing with her hair, her annoyance turned to rage. Second ago, she wanted him knocked out, now she wanted him dead. She focused all her energy and attention on him, wishing she could rip his heart from his chest. She heard him stop breathing and, when she came back to reality, heard the others gasping.

“What the hell was that?”

Slowly moving her head to avoid attention, Caroline saw a vampire lying on the ground with his heart next to him.

_“Impressive. Your next power has arrived. ”_

“More importantly, what the hell did that?” Marcel said.

Believing Caroline to be under control, all the vampires moved to stand around their fallen comrade. The blonde saw an opportunity and broke the vervain-soaked chains off her wrist. Bracing herself, she tore the restraints around her ankles off too. She let out a tiny groan when she sat back up and the blade in her chest moved.

The others heard her but didn’t turn around. They were busy discussing how their friend’s heart got ripped out without anyone touching him.

Caroline reached into her chest and pulled the blade out. She quickly and quietly maneuvered herself so that she was sitting on top of the blade.

Still angry, she concentrated on the two vampires standing closest to her, Josh and an unknown vampire. Everyone in the room heard a distinct snap and the pair’s bodies hit the ground. By that time, Caroline had resumed her ‘I’m totally incapacitated by this knife’ position.

Caroline’s captors turned around and Marcel realized the blonde was no longer restrained. “Who undid the chains?” he asked.

“Umm…I think it was Josh.” A vampire said, gesturing to one of the knocked up vampires.

“Why does it matter? The blade keeps her pretty much helpless.” Another vampire said before walking up to Caroline. He lifted her head up and said. “See? She’s not going anywhere.” He then turned away from her.

Caroline stood up and broke his neck. “He also pulled the knife out.” She said before Marcel’s seven other vampires attacked. Breaking the chair she’d been sitting in, Caroline staked the first two in the stomach before breaking a third one’s neck. She tore the fourth one’s heart out before breaking the necks of two others. Finally, Caroline only had two people left to fight: Gia and Marcel.

Before they could attack in tandem, Caroline sped up behind Gia and forced her hand into the brunette’s chest. This stopped Marcel from advancing.

“I don’t want to do this. The way I see it, you have two options. Option one, you take another step and I tear her heart out. Option two, you get to walk away and leave me the fuck alone.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because, you don’t want to lose any more people and I’m getting more furious with you by the nanosecond. “

“Marcel, please.” Gia said groaning and choking on her own blood.

“Fine. Option two, all right. Option two.”

Caroline broke Gia’s neck and stepped back. “Good.”

“This isn’t over you know.” Marcel said as she turned to leave. “I’ll find out your secret, one way or another.”

“No, you won’t.” Caroline said before speeding up to Marcel and grabbing his head and twisting. Caroline then cut each vampire’s arm and tested to see which ones were on vervain. She bled those vampires out and waited.

Roughly an hour later, Caroline left the warehouse in a much better mood. She compelled surviving vampires to forget that she was an Original but to remember her killing their friends. She also made sure they knew not to seek revenge for the killings. She made Marcel, GIa and Josh forget everything she’d said after she explaining how Kai knocked out a werewolf. 

* * *

 

As Caroline reentered the French Quarter, she found herself face-to-face with three werewolves.

“Our Alpha wants to speak with you.” The wolves had been sent by Hayley to deliver Caroline for a ‘discussion’ about respect. Hayley also wanted to test the ‘Caroline is an Original’ theory herself.

“Your Alpha is gonna have to wait.” Caroline said tensely. “Besides, I don’t answer to her.”

“I’m afraid that’s not an option.” One of the wolves pulled a stake out of his pocket.

“You picked a really bad day to do this.” Caroline said getting ready for another fight. The three wolves rushed her. One suffered a broken arm, another a concussion and a few broken ribs. The last wasn’t so lucky, and Caroline broke his neck. She left the wolves in the street and headed towards the bayou solo.


	19. Fathers and Sons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are reminded why Caroline was such a good distraction in the past (it's because she's good at lying and thinking on her feet)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the title, try to guess what happens

**The Bayou A few days earlier-**

Hayley and the Crescent wolves left Enzo and Kai in the unused cabin to have a pack meeting. The pack needed to know what was going on and Hayley needed space and time to regroup. Enzo had just dropped a huge bomb on the Alpha and all Hayley’s plans were now moot. Before the meeting started, she pulled Jackson aside.

“This is bad. This is really, really bad.” Hayley said pacing.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Bringing Caroline here.”

“Why is that a problem? She could help us.”

“She also hates me. What’s to stop her from leaving here and telling everyone about our little problem?”

“It’s been years since you last saw her, maybe she’s over it?” Jackson suggested unhelpfully. “If she tells anyone, we’ll deal with it. Besides, according to the vamp, she’s an Original. We can’t really stop her from doing anything.”

Hayley narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “Yeah, which is very convenient for her, given my new status.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m a hybrid, and the only beings stronger than me are-“

“The Originals. You think Enzo’s lying.”

“I’m not sure about him, but I think she is. Saying she’s an Original would make us less likely to try and attack her. Why would we start a fight we know we can’t win? I think…we need to know for sure.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“We find out what she knows. Then, I bite her and find out if she really is immune to werewolf venom.”

“That could go wrong in so many ways.” Jackson said. “Whether she lives or dies, we’re gonna have a very pissed off Original on our hands.”

 

**The Next Day(After Kol's death)**

Hayley entered Jackson’s trailer and began plotting. Caroline’s presence had messed everything up for the brunette hybrid. Not only was the pack waiting on answers only the blonde seemed to have, but she’d caused Hayley to trash her relationship with Elijah. Elijah had unanimously taken Hayley’s side on everything ever since discovering she was pregnant. But now, because of that blonde bitch, Elijah was mad at her. How was she to know Kol was dying? It wasn’t her job to stay up-to-date on which Mikaelsons were dead and which ones weren’t.

On top of that, the blonde had apparently told Klaus all about the pack’s ‘problem’ and he was probably plotting how to take ‘his city’ back at the exact moment.

Hayley decided the pack couldn’t afford to wait. Angry and feeling vindictive, Hayley ordered three low-ranking wolves to go to the French Quarter and retrieve Caroline by any means necessary.

She spent two days weighing the pros and cons about sending someone to ‘collect’ Caroline. Klaus would be pissed if, make that when, he found out. She wasn’t pregnant with his miracle child any longer and Elijah seemed less happy to defend her at the moment. The brunette knew that if push came to shove, the pack came before any one individual, and she’d claim no knowledge of the three wolves’ plan.

“She might be an Original and Klaus’ ‘true love’, but I’m the Queen of the wolves.” Hayley said to herself. “Besides, Blondie’s not the type to get her hands dirty.”

**Caroline’s Car-Present**

Caroline was fuming. Not only had Marcel been stupid enough to abduct her, and threaten to torture her, but now she had to deal with the wolf-bitch. Caroline couldn’t believe Hayley was this stupid.

Marcel was ignorant; he saw a pretty blonde girl and knew nothing about what she was capable of or how important she was to a certain thousand-year-old hybrid. Hayley was another story entirely. Even if the former werewolf didn’t believe Caroline was an Original, she still knew about Klaus’ feelings for Caroline and that Caroline hated her. Marcel’s actions she could forgive, Hayley’s were another matter.

The blonde came to a decision while driving to the bayou. She wouldn’t confront Hayley over her wolf minions just yet. This gave the blonde both time to plan, and the satisfaction of knowing the brunette would be unnerved over their fates. Caroline also made a second, possibly more dangerous decision, Ansel was out of time. She knew she could introduce the estranged father to his son that day, if she timed it right, with a little bit of lying.

**The Bayou-Present**

“There is a way, to help our pack control their transformations, without the rings.” Jackson admitted to Hayley.

“And what might that be?” she asked.

“A unification ceremony. Back in the day, werewolf bloodlines were all distinct, right? Some had speed, some had strength, some could sense enemies from miles away. Now, to evolve, we would perform a ritual. A shaman would marry the alphas of each bloodline, and then the special abilities of each would be…inherited, mystically, by everyone who participated in the ritual. After a few centuries, everyone had the same abilities.”

“But I have a unique ability. Because I’m a hybrid I can control when I change. If this ritual works, we won’t need the rings. “

“I don’t want to break up whatever this is,” Ansel said from the doorway, “but Caroline is here.”

The pair looked at one another and then turned to follow Ansel. Hayley was surprised her wolves managed to find Caroline so quickly. She’d only sent them yesterday. If they returned so soon, then dealing with Caroline was going to be easier than she thought. Hayley’s amusement was cut short when she found the blonde had come alone, without Hayley’s werewolf messengers. Caroline was leaning against the trunk of her car, waiting for the trio and looking agitated. Other members of the pack were standing around looking warily at the vampire. The two women stared at one another for a moment before Caroline spoke.

“So is there a reason why you stormed into the Abattoir three days ago, or was it just for fun?” She looked at Hayley knowingly, making the Alpha to believe that Caroline knew she wasn’t expected like this.

“I told you. We need your help. How was I to know Kol was dying?”

“You could have taken a millisecond and used about three brain cells to read the room before you played the ‘my pack is more important’ card. Kol is fine, by the way, and back in his original body. Pun intended.”

Hayley was about to reply or punch the blonde when Jackson intervened. “All right. Let’s get back on track. How is the research going?”

“It’s not. Until I have the spell Esther used, I can’t really figure out what went wrong. I’m good but I’m not that good.”

“So you came here to say you have nothing.”

“No. I came here so I can borrow him.” She said pointing to Ansel. “Since he is the oldest non-hybrid werewolf on Earth, I need to use his blood.”

“For what?”

“To contact Inadu in the Afterlife, which you asked me to do.” Caroline was met with blank looks. “I need either the blood of a descendant, which I can’t find, or the blood of those she cursed. Since Ansel is older than the rest of you, his connection to Inadu is stronger than yours. He’s also been dead and on the Other Side, which makes his blood valuable.” She then looked at Ansel. “Get in the car, we have to do this in New Orleans.”

“Why does it have to be in New Orleans?” he asked.

“To boost the signal, so to speak. Magic has deep roots in New Orleans; I can use that to amplify the spell.” Caroline was trying to speed Ansel along before her window of opportunity closed. “You asked for my help, this is what my help looks like.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

**The Abattoir**

Caroline and Ansel got out of the car outside the compound. The werewolf looked up at the building and asked, “Why are we here? When you said you needed to amplify the spell, I thought that meant the City of the Dead or something.”

“It does. The rest of the spell ingredients are inside, I just need to get them.” Caroline said, before walking towards the door. “Are you coming or what?”

Ansel felt a very strange sensation overcome him but followed the blonde nonetheless. He knew she was keeping something from him and hoped this wasn’t a trap. When he entered the building, he felt a sense of peace overcome him and he could not figure out why.

“Wait here.” Caroline said before running upstairs. The werewolf stood in the courtyard, anxiously waiting for the blonde to return. He didn’t feel threatened, but a sense of foreboding overcame in as soon as she moved. He was about to leave the building when he heard a voice.

“Who are you and what are you doing in my home?” Ansel turned and saw a dark haired man in a well-tailored suit standing behind him. He recognized the man as one of Esther’s children but couldn’t quite match a name to the face. The werewolf suddenly realized why he felt so at ease in this building.

“I…Caroline brought me here. She went upstairs to grab something and told me to wait here.”

“And why would Miss Forbes bring you here?”

“She’s trying to contact the dead, and she told me she needed my blood to do it.”

Elijah was about to question the man further when a bloodied man was thrown into the building. A second later, another person came stalking over to where the first man lay.

“You useless, worthless bastard! What made you think you could ever defeat me?” Mikael spat out.

“I already killed you once, Father. I’d gladly do it again.”

Mikael looked around and noticed Elijah ready to pounce and another man standing there in shock. Luckily, Mikael couldn’t see Ansel’s face. Elijah put himself between his brother and his father, which made Mikael snarl. “You never change, do you? Hiding behind your brother and your playthings like the coward that you are. ”

“Ok, I found what I cam-“ Caroline said walking down the stairs before she saw the fight happening below. When Ansel turned to look at her, Mikael finally saw his face. Forgetting his fight with Klaus, he began yelling.

“You! I thought killed you a thousand years ago.”

“You did.” Ansel stated. “But death isn’t as permanent as it once was.”

“And let me guess, you’ve returned for your weakling of a son.” Mikael said, then he turned to face Klaus, who looked uncharacteristically lost, and chuckled. “Oh, you don’t know.”

“What are you saying?” Elijah asked, already suspecting the answer but needing to hear it said.

“That beast” Mikael said pointing to Ansel, “is the bastard’s real father. The daddy he spent a thousand years wondering about. Tell me, have you realized what a disappointment he is yet? Take my advice, he’s not wort-“

Mikael was cut off when Caroline managed to sneak behind him and break his neck. She pointed to Mikael’s unconscious form. “Elijah, I don’t suppose you have somewhere you can stash him?”

Elijah nodded and ran upstairs, returning with a coffin which he placed his father inside and then wrapped in chains. Klaus and Ansel stared at one another the entire time.

Ansel then began to speak. “Niklaus, I-“

“Whatever you are about to say, its about a thousand years too late.” Klaus began to walk away before turning back. “You know, I used to tell myself that my real father must have had no idea I existed. Otherwise he wouldn’t have left me to suffer under Mikael.”

“Esther forbade me from seeing you. So I waited, I knew one day you’d trigger your curse and need your real father. When that happened, Mikael found me first.”

“For the record, I didn’t want you two to meet like this.” Caroline interrupted the tense reunion. “But I was running out of time.”

Her statement caught Klaus’ attention. “You knew? How long have you known?”

“Since I met Ansel a few days ago. You have his eyes.” Klaus looked ready to argue so she continued. “If I told you, you wouldn’t have believed me. You needed to hear it for yourself.”

“Miss Forbes, why exactly did you bring Ansel here?” Elijah asked. “I suspect its not because you need his blood.”

“Oh, I still need blood to contact Inadu; I didn’t necessarily need his.” Caroline admitted.

“Then why bring me here?”

“Do you remember what I told you the first time I came to the bayou? I told you that you needed to tell Klaus who you were before someone else beat you to it. By someone, I meant me.” She said.

"Even if what you say is true, Caroline, he means nothing to me." Klaus spat out.

"Perhaps. Perhaps I am a thousand years too late. I never got to be your father, but you are my son."

Klaus looked between the three other occupants and felt overwhelmed. “I…I need to go.” He sped upstairs without looking back. Ansel and Elijah both moved to follow him but Caroline intervened.

“You two stay here. I’ll go talk to him.” The blonde walked slowly upstairs, preparing to face an angry hybrid. When she opened the door to his studio, she found him smashing things. “I know that you’re angry, but I was trying to help.”

“How? How is introducing me to him helpful?”

“You spent a thousand years not knowing anything about your father, about half of who you are. Think about it, everything you’ve wanted to know about that part of you is sitting downstairs.”

“There’s just one problem, sweetheart. He didn’t come here to meet me, he came here because the wolves need your help. He probably didn’t even want to meet me.” Klaus said the last part sadly.

“Klaus, he came back for the Other Side for you. To finally, after centuries, have a chance to meet his son. Just talk to him.”

Klaus didn’t respond and Caroline got up and left. When she opened the door, Klaus spoke. “What did you mean? You said you were running out of time. What did that mean?”

“I just….had a weird feeling about it. I can’t really explain it.” Klaus gave Caroline a searching look and nodded, filing that tidbit away until he could talk to Kol.


	20. Tidbits from different people

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline gets answers, Hayley gets pissed, Josephine and Marcel plot, and Katherine comes to NOLA. (We also find out who that resurrected woman is)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said at the beginning of this story, I'm changing a few characters' backstories. A few personalities might change as well.

**The Abattoir**

After the world’s most deadly father-son reunion and an hour of awkward silence due to a thousand years of estrangement, Klaus and Ansel reached an impasse. Both men knew the other wasn’t quite ready to talk and needed time to process. Sensing the tension, Caroline intervened. “Ok, now the awkwardness has reached its full potential.”

“To be fair, love, you did spring this meeting on us with no warning.”

“Which I apologized for. It’s not my fault outside factors forced my hand.”

Ansel watched the exchange feeling out of place. “I’m gonna head back to the bayou. I…need some time to process everything.” The werewolf gave his son one last look and left.

When Ansel was out of earshot, Klaus turned to Caroline. He had one lingering question that he needed answers. “Do you actually know how to contact the dead or did you make that up?”

“Oh, I know how. I just can’t contact a specific person. The Spirits still exist somewhere in ‘the great beyond’ and might talk to me.” Caroline admitted. “But I didn’t need his blood. I was going to come up with an excuse to use yours actually.”

“My blood?”

“The spell doesn’t even need werewolf blood, just blood of a supernatural being. Last time I checked, you are a supernatural being. Besides, this way only you and I know what the answer is.”

“What do I need to do?”

Caroline grabbed a bowl and put it on the table. “Bleed into this. I need a layer of blood about a quarter inch thick.” She then brought a bag downstairs and placed Amara’s skull into the bowl. Finally, she poured some of Qetsiyah’s blood onto the top of the skull. “No matter what happens, do not interrupt the spell or try to pull me out of it. “

The blonde put both hands on the side of the skull and began muttering an incantation. As Klaus watched her repeat the incantation over and over, Caroline was pulled onto another plane.

 

**_“Hello Caroline Forbes.” A voice called out._ **

**_“Hi. How do you know my name?”_ **

**_“You have many questions, but little time for answers. You are curious about the Loup Garou.”_ **

**_“Yes. They had rings which stopped their transformation. What happened?”_ **

**_“First, you must know how those rings were made. Esther used the strongest and darkest of dark magic to create those amulets: black magic. This is unfortunate for those aiding her. ” the voice said sounding disgusted._ **

**_“Why is that bad?”_ **

**_“Black magic’s power comes directly from Hell itself. When a witch uses black magic, it marks their soul. They are damned to Hell for all time.”_ **

**_“Wow, she’s even more psychotic than I thought. Why’d the rings stop working though? This magic seems pretty tamper-proof”_ **

**_“Bad luck or stupidity depending on how you look at it. Esther borrowed power from Hell for the spell, then those using the rings angered the wrong person down there.”_ **

**_Caroline stood processing this new information. Not only did Hell exist, but Esther had reached into Hell for a spell and apparently someone in Hell was angry._ **

**_“I suspect the Loup Garou is not the only reason you are here.”_ **

**_“Yes.” Carole admitted. “What is happening to me? What have I become?”_ **

**_“You will find out very soon. Farewell, Caroline Forbes.”_ **

****

Caroline’s eyes snapped open and she swayed a little bit. “I know what happened.” She said right before she collapsed.

* * *

 

**Garden District**

Esther’s witches sat anxiously in their headquarters. They hadn’t heard from Esther or Finn in days and were left to assume both were either dead or imprisoned by their family. The witches were growing desperate, knowing that without a working spell or hopes of a solution, both the werewolves and the vampires would hunt them down.

“What do we do?” Phoebe asked, resigning herself to whatever horrible future lay before them.

“We leave New Orleans.”

“What? And lose our link to the Ancestors? They’ll kill us twice as fast.”

Juliana walked into the room, looking pensive. “There is one solution. “

“Which is?”

“The vampires want us dead anyway, but the werewolves don’t yet. Oliver called me an hour ago. They want a copy of the spell we’ve been using. The pack has some ‘expert’ who might be able to figure out what went wrong. That might buy us a tiny amount of protection.”

“You want to give them our only leverage?” Phoebe asked.

“We’ve already sided with the wolves. I’d rather be hunted by one army than two.”

* * *

 

**Algiers**

Marcel and Gia were in the older vampire’s apartment strategizing. Since Caroline’s arrival, their plans for the city were at a standstill. After Caroline’s kidnapping and escape, both were waiting for something to happen. Either Caroline or Klaus confronting them about the incident.

Caroline didn’t seem interested in fighting at all, but both knew what she would do if provoked, or at least they had an idea. The pair agreed they had rushed headlong into trying to use Caroline to get to Klaus. What happened to Sam in the warehouse also worried them. Something out there could remove a vampire’s heart from a distance, and they had no idea how or why.

Gia and Marcel were also curios about what had happened to the werewolves. Over the past week, they noticed fewer and fewer werewolves wandering around the French Quarter. Marcel didn’t believe in coincidences, and suspected Caroline’s arrival may have somehow been related.

As Gia and Marcel talked in circles, Josh walked in. The man had been keeping an eye on the Original family for the past few days for Marcel, who didn’t want knowledge of Caroline’s ‘visit’ to Algiers to get around. “Hey, I have huge news.”

“What is it?”

“Caroline knew something about the wolves that we didn’t. I heard her tell Klaus days ago that he had quote: a week and a half to get his city back.”

“How?” Gia asked.

“The werewolves’ moonlight rings stopped working and no one knows why.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Marcel asked getting angry.

“I thought you’d want verification. “

“You tricked Aiden into telling you? That’s very out of character for you.”

“No, I couldn’t do that to Aiden. I kinda…tracked one of the other werewolves to where the witches were and overheard them panicking about it.”

Gia turned to face Marcel. “So, the wolves are about to lose the Quarter. What’s the plan?”

“I think step number one is to see Klaus. We can’t beat him and I’d rather not put our people in the middle of another one of his battles for the city.”

“There’s something else you should know. The Ancestors are furious that Caroline is here. They seem to think she’s more dangerous than Klaus and his siblings combined.”

“So our mysterious blonde just got a lot more mysterious.”

* * *

 

**Garden District**

Josephine sat in her home debating her options. The Ancestors had grown increasingly more fearful of Caroline Forbes in the past week. They hadn’t told the Regent how or why they knew the blonde was dangerous and their paranoia was starting to grow irritating and infectious. The previous night, the Ancestors had presented Josephine with a solution. A rather extreme solution. They believed the only way to protect their descendants was to kill Caroline before she could reach her full potential.

* * *

 

**Bayou**

Ansel stalked towards his temporary home, muttering in a language none of the other wolves spoke.

“Hey, did she do the spell already? What did you find out?” Jackson asked.

“No, she didn’t. There were…. complications translating the ritual. I’ll need to return to the French Quarter in a few days.” Ansel said, giving the most likely excuse he could think of. The wolves had accepted him, but he wasn’t quite ready to bring up the whole ‘Klaus is my son’ situation. Jackson nodded and left.

Hayley sat in Jackson’s trailer anxious. No one had heard from Mark, David or Brian since Hayley sent them off. The pack believed the group had just wanted to get away from the bayou for a while. She knew the cover story about visiting family would only last for another day at most.

* * *

 

**Outside New Orleans**

Katherine pulled the car over five miles outside the city limits and turned to face Desdemona.

“Why did you stop?” the blonde asked.

“What happens when all this is over? After I deliver you to Caroline, what happens to me? I’m not too keen on returning to Hell.”

“You won’t. “ Desdemona admitted, shocking Katherine.

“But the voice said-“

“That it would send you back to Hell if you didn’t find her, which you’ve done. Any soul in Hell Caroline knew, and there are quite a few, could have found her, but you were chosen for a reason.”

“What reason?”

“Of everyone he could have sent, Caroline likes you the most. You hate to admit it, but she’s one of the few friends you had. She’s more likely to believe you than she is me.” Desdemona said shrugging. “And she misses you.”

Katherine was about to respond when someone knocked on the car window. Rolling it down, she saw a black-haired girl standing there. “Can I help you?”

“Have you found the heir yet?” the girl asked.

“What heir?”

“Please don’t try to lie to me. “ Desdemona leaned forward when she heard the girl speak. “Desdemona, nice to see you again.”

“Why are you here?”

“Same reason you are. The heir of Hell was awakened. I was sent back to find her. I woke up in what used to be my village, now its something called a WalMart.”

“No, that’s why I got sent back.” Katherine interrupted and said.

“You were sent back to locate her, my job is a little more complicated.” For the first time since Paris, Katherine saw Desdemona look lost. “Oh you didn’t know. Let’s just say our families go way back. Are we gonna find this girl or what?”

“Fine. Get in the car.” Desdemona said and the girl got in the backseat. “This is Katherine. Katherine, meet Inadu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM! The mystery woman that got resurrected at the end of Chapter 16 is Inadu (the Hollow). Her personality is gonna be a little bit different than in canon, as is her actions/motivations (mostly because she reason for inventing werewolves is a little different). I found the character to be a little too one-dimensional on the show and want to fix that.


	21. Reunion

**The Abattoir**

When Caroline woke up, she was surprisingly comfortable. She expected her head to hurt or her body to feel exhausted. Instead, all she felt was relaxed. Sitting up slowly, she saw that she was lying on a comfortable, and expensive feeling, mattress in a room she hadn’t seen before. Caroline was about to get out of bed when Klaus walked in.

“Oh good, you’re awake. You gave me quite a scare sweetheart.” Klaus said, a little nervously. “How do you feel? Do you need blood or anything?”

“I feel fine. What happened?”

“Well, you contacted the Spirits and asked your questions I suppose. I only heard your half of the conversation and it wasn’t very indicative of the rest. Anyway, once you ended the conversation, you told me you knew what happened and then collapsed. Luckily I caught you before you hit the ground.”

“That explains why my head doesn’t hurt.” Caroline said, smiling slightly. “Where am I?”

“My bedroom. I figured you didn’t want my siblings or your friends finding you unconscious downstairs.”

“And you couldn’t have taken me back to my room?”

“Well, I could have.” He admitted. “But where’s the fun in that?”

Caroline smiled before a load of questions occurred to her. “How long was I out for? Did I miss anything important? Did you find out something about Hope or Dahlia or your mother? Is everyone okay?”

“Calm down, love. Everyone’s fine. You were only asleep for about two hours. Hope is safe, my mother is under control and Dahlia is still a problem but she’s not here.” Klaus said reassuring her. “Now, what did you learn?”

“The Spirits were very vague while at the same time being incredible informative.”

“That’s not uncommon for them from what I’m told.”

“Anyway, your mother used black magic to spell the moonlight rings, which means she borrowed the power from Hell. Which exists because of course it exists.” Caroline said the last part exasperated. “So the rings were powered by Hell and then something happened. Either Esther or one of the werewolves did something that angered someone in Hell and that power was taken back.”

“Did the Spirits say what was done or who it angered?”

“No, they just said someone was angry about it. They also said the rings couldn’t be remade.”

“That’s unfortunate. For the werewolves.” Klaus said. After the Genevieve debacle, Klaus had given up on the moonlight rings. His mother making them was an unexpected problem, but now it seems that problem had been solved. Klaus was deep in thought when Caroline spoke again.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” she said a little nervous and not looking at the hybrid.

“Of course.”

“Who is Papa Tunde?”

Klaus looked at her concerned. “How do you know that name?”

“After we brought Kol back, I was wandering around the city thinking. Some vampire came up behind me and knocked me out. When I came to, he stabbed me with this weird looking blade. When he pulled it out, he said I had to be an Original in order to survive the Papa Tunde blade.”

“Who was it?”

“I killed him, so it doesn’t matter. I just…. I need to know who Papa Tunde is and why that blade is special.”

“He was a witch, he lived in New Orleans in the early 1900’s. He and I didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye and I killed him. A few months ago, he was resurrected. Tunde practiced sacrificial magic, and he used the blade to absorb the power of those he killed with it or by drawing on the power of others by carving symbols into their flesh. He killed himself using the blade to seal and bind that power to it. If you were stabbed with it, you know what it does: keep vampires in a state of constant and excruciating agony. ”

“It didn’t do that.” Caroline said quietly. “When I was stabbed with it, it didn’t do that to me. Nothing really happened. So I killed the vampire, took the blade and left.”

Klaus looked at her in awe. “Nothing happened? That blade kept Elijah and I both in excruciating pain, and it does nothing to you? How? “

“I don’t know. “ Caroline then remembered the voice she heard after she was stabbed. “When you were stabbed with it, did you ever…. hear things?”

“No, I just felt a constant and unending pain that I couldn’t escape.”

“Oh.” Caroline said looking away. “So, if I told you I heard some disembodied voice that would be abnormal.”

“Did you hear a disembodied voice? What did it say?”

“The first part was kind of ‘look at your life, look at your choices’ and lecturing. Then, the voice said the vampire left me unguarded because he believed the blade would be enough to keep me from escaping, since it incapacitated you and Elijah. That unfortunately for my kidnapper, the blade doesn’t work on me. The voice never said why.”

Klaus stared at Caroline for several moments, processing what she’d just said. Papa Tunde’s blade didn’t work on her for some reason, and he had no idea why. He was happy that she didn’t know the pain that weapon caused, but this was just another strange thing to happen around Caroline. He supposed it probably had something to do with Kol’s conjuror theory, but with no real evidence, Klaus didn’t want to open that particular can of worms.

Caroline and Klaus were both pulled out of their musings by a yell from downstairs. Running towards the courtyard, they saw Bonnie, Enzo and Kol surrounding two unknown women, one blonde and one with black hair. With them was…. Elena?

“Have they started arriving yet?” the blonde woman asked.

“Have what started yet? Who are you people?” Kol asked.

“She wasn’t talking to you.” The dark haired woman said. “She was talking to her,” the woman pointed at Caroline. “You already know they have, Des.”

“But does she know what that means is the question.”

“Ok, I’ll ask again. Who are you people? Why are you here? What do my abilities mean?” Caroline asked frantic. “And why is Elena here?”

“Oh, please. Like Elena would look anywhere near this good.” The brunette said.

“Katherine.” Caroline bit out. “I seem to remember watching you die.”

“Yes, why is my least favorite doppelganger here, and can I kill her?”

“I got resurrected, and if you kill me, I’ll probably just get sent back. Its futile really.” Katherine deadpanned.

The raven-haired woman then spoke up. “You know, you can break the news to her, I have some…urgent business I need to deal with. Later.” The woman then walked out.

“Look, can we get back on track please? I’m Desdemona…. I’m…. well let’s just say we’re family. I’m here to help you learn about what you are.”

“But what am I?” Caroline asked getting angry.

“Congratulations Blondie! You’re the next ruler of Hell. Now, I need your help.” Katherine said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Caroline finally knows what she is. How will she react? Where is Inadu going? Who exactly is Desdemona to Caroline?


	22. Did you really just call me that?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief interlude in the bayou and Caroline reacts to the atomic bomb Katherine just dropped on her

**The Bayou**

Hayley stood in the clearing still in shock. David had returned from his mission into the French Quarter under an hour ago. News of Brian and Mark’s deaths would spread around the pack soon enough, as would the story of how they died. Hayley knew Jackson and the pack would not react well to learning she sent the pair to their deaths over some old grudge. Caroline was going to receive a broken neck, at least, the next time the blonde stepped foot in the bayou.

Ansel was still acting strangely, which Jackson, who knew the older wolf well, found unnerving. The North East Atlantic Pack seemed to know and understand why Ansel was behaving the way he was, but didn’t seem keen on sharing. When asked, Cary told Jackson Ansel was dealing with a pack matter and it wouldn’t affect the Crescent wolves. The younger wolf told him that if the Crescent wolf pack needed to know, then Ansel would tell them.

Jackson, Hayley and Ansel were left to ponder their next moves independently; unaware of what was coming for them.

* * *

 

**The Abattoir**

_“Congratulations Blondie! You’re the next ruler of Hell. Now, I need your help.” Katherine said._

The room was silent for a moment before Caroline yelled. “Ok, you did not seriously just call me Satan and then ask for my help.”

“I did, and you’re not Satan. You’re Satan’s great-great-add a whole bunch of greats-granddaughter. That makes you the heir to Hell. Oh, and in case you missed it, you’re not a vampire anymore.”

Caroline ignored most of what Katherine said, since it was just too weird. “Yeah, I’m an Original.”

The doppelganger snorted. “Ok, you’re like 10% Original and 90% other thing.”

Everyone looked between the two in confusion. “What’s the 90%?” Bonnie finally asked.

“She’s a conjuror isn’t she?” Kol asked.

“Actually, we prefer the term warlock or at least, I do. I’m a warlock but she’s not.” Desdemona said.

“Ok, what exactly is a warlock and if I’m not that, what am I?”

“So, people sell their souls to the devil for a lot of reasons, success, love, revenge, etc. A warlock is a witch or a human who sells their soul to the devil in return for magical abilities. You’re something else because one of your ancestors made a much different deal with a certain demon, which means you’re part-demon. You’re the heir to Hell because that demon is the ruler of Hell. It’s also why you’re so powerful.”

“What exactly did my ancestor do? And how are we related?”

“Many years ago, one of your ancestors became obsessed with revenge. Seeking a way to become more powerful, she delved into dark and forbidden magics. One day, she summoned a demon, Asmodeus, and made a deal with him. He would give her the ability to destroy those she wanted to punish, and she would bear him a child, a daughter. She had a child and so on until you were born.”

“But no one in my family had any magic or anything.”

“Her daughter grew too powerful and out of control, so with her last breath, she locked the magical ability away from her descendants. Until a worthy descendant was born and asked for the power, it would remain hidden, unreachable by anyone.”

“But I didn’t ask for it.”

“Yes, you did. When you had that witch perform that spell the night of the alignment. You didn’t know it at the time, but you asked for demonic inheritance. And I agreed to give it to you.”

“You agreed?”

“Yes, I’m the one who had a child with the Devil. “  

Caroline had no possible response to that and just kind of shut down for a second. She'd forgotten others were in the room until Klaus spoke. “If you are Caroline’s distant ancestor, how are you alive? And how is Katerina alive as well?”

“I was resurrected to help Caroline adjust to her new powers. Katherine was brought back from Hell because she was one of the few people in Hell who knew Caroline personally. Her task was to lead me to Caroline.”

“You still haven’t given anyone any proof that what you’re saying is true. Anyone could claim to be a warlock or the ruler of Hell. Prove it.” Kol said.

“I don’t need to.” Desdemona then turned to Caroline. “When was the last time you fed? Had any blood?” the blonde didn’t answer. “You can’t remember, can you? Because you don’t _need_ blood to survive any longer and don’t feel that hunger. “

This brought Caroline back to reality. “How…you said I was 10% Original and 90% spawn of Satan. How is that possible?”

Desdemona sighed and began explaining. “Well, you are essentially a hybrid, although a different type than your friend here.” She pointed at Klaus who was glaring at her. “Being a hybrid, you get the best abilities of both species. For your vampire side, that’s speed, strength and compulsion. From your demon side, its immortality, the array of abilities you’ve started to develop, being able to day walk and being resistant to most magic. That also comes with some weaknesses, like any other being. Vervain, werewolf venom and stakes can harm you but not kill you. You have to be invited in and Expression can still hurt you. There are things that weaken your demon half as well, but I’ll tell you those later, in private. Very little can permanently kill you though.”

“It does explain a lot.” Enzo said. Caroline turned and gave him a look of betrayal. “What?”

“I hate to admit it, but he’s right sweetheart.” Klaus said. “You read dead languages, you know how to perform spells no else has ever heard of, not to mention you had a ‘weird feeling you couldn’t explain’ that made you force Ansel and I to meet. Oh and Papa Tunde’s blade doesn’t work on you.”

“Wait, it doesn’t work on her? You didn’t tell me that, Nik. That rules out the theory we had.” Kol said and Caroline looked between the brothers.

“All right, fine. Let’s say I believe you. That still doesn’t explain why Katherine got resurrected or who that other woman was or why this matters.”

“It matters because you need to understand what’s happening to you. I told you why Katherine’s here. As for our absent colleague, she was resurrected as well because of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Asmodeus isn’t the only demon in Hell, nor is he the only to be summoned to this plane. A very long time ago, a high-ranking demon was summoned here by a very powerful, and angry, witch to get revenge on her enemies. Belial gave her the power to curse her enemies, and every descendant they’d ever had. In return, Inadu’s soul was bound to Hell for all eternity and, for other reasons I’ll explain later, when the heir to Hell arises, she gets resurrected as well.”

Everyone's heads snapped back toward Desdemona as she finished her explanation. “Did you just say Inadu? As in the witch who invented werewolves?”

“Well, we established she’s a warlock who cursed entire bloodlines to become werewolves, but yes. That’s who that was.”

“So her ‘urgent business’ is probably killing the army of werewolves in the bayou.”

“No, she won’t go after the wolves yet; she needs to figure out the climate before she acts. From what I understood of her psychotic ranting, she needs to find her acolyte or something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Caroline reacts to Klaus keeping things from her, and we find out where Inadu is going.


	23. Aftermath

**The Abattoir**

“So the wolves are safe for now.” Klaus said sounding strangely relieved.

“Yes.” Desdemona then looked at Caroline who looked overwhelmed and confused. “This…. it was a lot to spring on you out of nowhere. We’re gonna give you some time to think.” She grabbed Katherine’s arm and headed upstairs.

“We’re…gonna go too.” Bonnie said awkwardly before speed walking away with Enzo. Caroline looked between Klaus and Kol once again.

“Hey Klaus?”

“Yes love?”

“What did Kol mean when he said my ‘abilities’ didn’t fit into your theory?”

“I’m gonna give you two lovebirds some time.”

“No, you’re staying Kol.” Caroline said without looking away from Klaus. “What did he mean?”

“Well, love, I ca-“

“Because it sounds like you two, or maybe you two and Elijah, came up with an explanation for what’s happening to me, and didn’t tell me.”

“I came up with an explanation, but we weren’t sure.” Kol admitted.

“Yet, you didn’t tell me.” Caroline said.

“I didn’t want to worry you, love. I wanted to be certain of what was going on before bothering you with anything.”

“You didn’t want to bother me. You didn’t want to bother me about something that is happening to me. You didn’t want me to be bothered by something happening to me that I didn’t understand and was terrified by. That’s your excuse?” Caroline yelled, her voice getting higher with each word.

“I thought I was protecting you.”

“You can’t protect me from myself, you idiot!” Caroline yelled. “It’s not like I can outrun my DNA.”

Klaus began to give her his wounded puppy look and she snapped. “Love, I-“

“No. I can’t do this with you right now. Three dead people just showed up and dumped a load of supernatural weirdness on me. I can’t pile relationship drama onto that too.” Caroline said frantically. “I’m going for a drink. Don’t follow me.” the blonde turned and walked out of the building.

“Well that went well.”

“Shut up, Kol.”

* * *

 

**Rousseau’s**

When Caroline stormed into Rousseau’s, she was still furious. She sat at the bar and ordered bourbon, telling Josh to just leave the bottle. The young vampire looked at her worriedly, but complied.

“Miss Forbes, may I ask what sorrows you are drowning?” Elijah said from behind her. She turned to look at him and glared.

“Did you know? About Kol’s little theory regarding my transformation?”

“I did. I take it from your tone that you’ve found out about it was well.”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Caroline said, taking a drink. “Too bad Kol was wrong.”

“Kol was wrong? How do you know this?”

“Someone like me showed up at the compound and told me everything.”

“If Kol was wrong, what is happening to you?”

“We’re gonna need some privacy before I tell you. I’m pretty sure you won’t believe half of it.” Elijah went through a door marked ‘Staff Only’ and found Josh. Within five minutes, the bar was closed and every patron had left. Caroline wondered how to start her explanation. She decided to ask Elijah something first. “Why didn’t Klaus tell me? I’m a big girl, I can handle bad news.”

“He believed her was protecting you. He said he didn’t want to tell you that you were damned for eternity unless he was absolutely sure.” Caroline opened her mouth to speak but Elijah continued. “Before you start some tirade about not being a damsel in distress, let me explain. Niklaus goes to extremes for those he loves. He kept our family in coffins that he carried around with him for centuries. Sometimes, he daggered us just to be spiteful, but other times he believed he was protecting us. He does not know how to relinquish control or ask for assistance. My brother loves you, but he’s inexperienced when it comes to healthy relationships. We all are.”

“I’m still pissed at him. I mean, this wasn’t some external threat like Silas. It’s my life, and my family and things I can’t outrun.”

“I’m sure he knew that, but chose to ignore it. Now, what exactly happened? What did you find out?”

“First, you have to promise not to interrupt until I’m completely finished talking.” Elijah nodded and Caroline began her story. “I’m not a conjuror. I’m Satan. Well, I’m Satan’s granddaughter. Either way, I’m the next queen of Hell.”

“And I thought both my parents returning from the dead to kill me was shocking.” Elijah deadpanned. “How did you find this out, may I ask?”

“My deceased ancestor who slept with the Devil was resurrected, came to the compound and told me.”

“Do you believe her?”

“I’m not sure. I mean, after everything that’s happened in my life, telling me the Devil is real and he’s my grandpa still seems like a stretch. But Desdemona’s explanation fits. It also helps that the abilities I already have make me too powerful to be a conjuror like Kol thought.”

“As much as I trust my younger brother’s expertise, not being a conjuror doesn’t automatically make you Satan.”

“She appeared to be quite serious. I also have no other explanation for Katherine’s sudden resurrection.”

“Katerina is alive?” Elijah said.

“Well, I don’t know about alive, but she’s here. She was released from Hell, mostly because she was one of the few people in Hell that knew me.” Caroline said. Caroline then saw the look on Elijah’s face. “She’s at the compound, you should go talk to her.”

* * *

 

**Treme**

Vincent walked into his apartment, having just returned from the store. He’d spent the last few days at home, recovering from his possession experience and coming to terms with what had happened. Perhaps distancing himself from his coven was a bad idea, it had made him a target for Esther. At the same time, he knew he couldn’t go back to practicing magic, not after what happened to Eva. The witch was pulled from his thoughts when he closed the door and noticed a dark-haired woman standing in his living room.

“Who are you? Why are you in my house?”

“Don’t act so surprised Vincent. You sought me out, remember?” the woman said, staring at Vincent intently.

“What on Earth are you talking about? How do you know my name?”

“You don’t remember?” the woman said, moving to circle him. “Or did you just choose to forget? Let me refresh your memory. When you found out about Eva’s little bundle of joy, you wanted to make the city safe from Marcel. Safe for witches. So, you looked into some rather dark magic. Magic that was older than the Ancestors, stronger than the Ancestors. My magic.”

Vincent’s eyes widened and he stuttered out, “You…you’re the Hollow?”

“I prefer Inadu, but yes.”

“How are you here? Why are you here?”

“I was resurrected, the specifics aren’t particularly important. I was brought back to this plane for a myriad of reasons; some involve you, some do not.”

“But why are you in my house?”

“It’s quite simple really. Given how I died and what happened to my spirit, there are forms of magic I can no longer practice. You, however, have no such handicap. You are going to help me with a few things.”

“You drove my wife insane; I gave up magic because of what happened. Why on earth would I help you?”

Inadu came face-to-face with Vincent. “Because you know, deep down, that fleeing from magic will not undo what you have done; the pain you inadvertently caused. Running will not fix Eva’s mind, or bring those children back or allow your unborn child to live. I offered you a method to fight Marcel Gerard; you are the one who chose to use it. Everything that happened after you found that book, that was your doing, not mine.”

Vincent looked ready to argue, so Inadu spoke again. “Let’s skip past negotiations. I find them boring and pointless, especially in this case. You are going to help me, because the alternative would not be enjoyable for you.”

“Oh yeah? What am I going to help you do? Slaughter more children? Make it rain fire? Lower the Veil?”

“You know, you are quite dramatic for someone your age. All of those things you just said? I’m capable of doing them without your assistance should the need arise. For right now, I just need to insure one specific person has a rather unlucky day.”

* * *

 

**The Bayou**

Hayley knew she needed to act fast. When Caroline, or Klaus, eventually came to the bayou for revenge, the wolves needed to be ready. Any night except a full moon, they didn’t stand a chance. Hayley owed it to her people to give them a fighting chance.

“Tell me more about this unification ceremony.” She said to Jackson.

“If the ritual works, we won’t need the rings. The pack would inherit your hybrid abilities to shift at will, we’d be free from the full moon.”

“That’s what we’ve been looking for! Let’s find a shaman, we’ll write some vows. Hell, let’s make it a party!”

“It’s not just a party. If the vows aren’t honored, the ceremony won’t work. It has to be real marriage. I get the feeling that you aren’t up for that.”

“Jack, I-“

“Let’s just…. find out if Caroline or Davina or one of the dozens of witches in the French Quarter can get us some answers.” Jackson turned and walked away.

Hayley was left to gather her thoughts when one of the pack members ran into the trailer. “Where’s Jackson? Something…. something’s happening. It’s…it’s like we can’t leave the bayou. Aiden left to meet his mystery guy but he couldn’t go more than a mile from the creek.”

Hayley ran outside and saw most of the pack standing around and looking concerned. Several wolves were trying to leave, walking up to the barrier, hitting it and then trying to cross at another point. The North East Atlantic pack appeared to be having the same problem, although they could venture a little further from their campsite.

“As amusing as it is watching you lot run into that boundary, again, I didn’t come here to see this.” A woman stepped out from behind a tree and said, sounding bored. She had black hair and was wearing all black. She then looked directly at Hayley and smirked. “Hello, beasties. Which one of you is Ansel? I heard he wanted to talk to me.”

* * *

 

**Mystic Falls**

A dark haired man looked down at the person in front of him before looking back at his girlfriend. He was in a state of shock and couldn’t process what had just happened. “What…what did I just do?”

“You killed him.” The girl said. “He ran at you, and you stabbed him in the heart.”

“He…he was gonna kill you. I didn’t have a choice.”

“That doesn’t matter Tyler! You killed somebody. That means you activated your curse.” Liv shouted.

“You need to get out of here.” Tyler said frantically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Klaus and Caroline are fighting, Inadu sought out Vincent and went to the bayou, and Tyler just trigger his curse.


	24. Explanations

**The Compound**

Elijah rushed into the compound after abruptly ending his conversation with Caroline. While the elder Mikaelson brother felt sympathy for Miss Forbes, he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, deny himself the opportunity to see his beloved Katerina again. Running up the stairs, Elijah was determined to check every inch of the building until he found her. In an uncharacteristic move, Elijah used his vampire speed to zip in and out of every room on the west side of the building until he heard a voice behind him.

“I take it she told you.” Said a voice Elijah never thought he’d be lucky enough to hear again. He turned around abruptly and saw Katherine standing behind him looking as beautiful as ever.

“Katerina-“

“Hello Elijah. “ she said smiling. “It’s good to see you.”

“How-“

“How am I here? Blondie’s descended from the devil, he let me out to help her adjust.”

“I hadn’t realized you were so close to Miss Forbes.”

“I wasn’t. Then Elena jammed the cure down my throat and Caroline and I became besties.”

Elijah and Katherine’s reunion was interrupted by the arrival of a woman Elijah didn’t know. “Hate to break this up, but where’s Caroline?”

“Last I saw her, she was in Rousseau’s processing everything.”

“We need to find her. Now.” The blonde said frantically.

“What’s all the ruckus about?” Klaus said walking up to the trio.

“Desdemona says we need to find Caroline.” Katherine answered.

“Why? Is something wrong?” Klaus asked suddenly worried.

“I just…talked to you-know-who. He thinks the Ancestors are going to try and kill Caroline.”

“But Blondie’s basically indestructible now.” Katherine said.

“It’s theoretically possible to kill her at the moment, and he doesn’t want her to get hurt, even if it wont kill her.”

“Who’s ‘he’?” Klaus asked jealously.

“Asmodeus. The devil. Her great-great-grandpa. Weren’t you listening?”

“Excuse me for being skeptical about the devil being so invested in Caroline’s life and wanting to protect her. He’s the devil.”

“He’s also her family, Niklaus. If ever there was an exception-”

“We’re wasting time. I need you three to help me find her.” Desdemona said frantically.

“Fine.” Katherine said, and Elijah and Klaus nodded their assent.

Finding Caroline wasn’t difficult. When Elijah left to reunite with Katherine, she simply stayed at Rousseau’s. The bar was already closed so there was no one there to bug her. It also gave her a time and place to process everything that had happened in the last year on her own.

Klaus found her and managed to talk her into returning home rather quickly. On the walk back, Klaus racked his brain for ways to make his deception up to his favorite Mystic Falls resident. When they entered the compound, Desdemona was standing in the courtyard with her arms crossed. For a moment, Caroline felt like a teenager who’d been caught sneaking in after curfew.

“Where have you been?” Desdemona asked.

“You showed up out of nowhere with someone I watched die and dropped a metric ton of weirdness on me. I needed a drink. Besides, you’re not my mother.”

“I’m aware of that. I was sent here to help you.”

“No one asked you to do that.”

“Actually, the devil did.”

“Is that going to be your explanation for everything?” Caroline retorted. “I’m here. What do you want?”

“I need to know what gifts you’ve already manifested. “

“Everything I read is in English.”

“That’s not uncommon. Demons have existed longer than human languages, so all demons can speak any language.”

“I understand spells I shouldn’t even know. Like a really obscure boundary spell.”

“Again. Not uncommon. “

“Sometimes I get weird feelings about things.”

“Like what?”

“I got this weird feeling yesterday, it told me I needed to introduce Klaus to someone that day or else they’d never meet.”

“Ok, that’s less common.” Desdemona admitted. She then remembered Klaus mentioning something about a blade not affecting Caroline. “What was the story with the blade?”

“Papa Tunde was a witch who used sacrificial magic. He used his death to bind certain magic to a blade he used in his spells. Stabbing a vampire with it leaves them in agonizing pain until its removed.” Klaus said.

“I got stabbed with it a few days ago. It didn’t cause me any pain, but I heard voices when it was buried in my chest.”

“Where’s the weapon now?” Desdemona asked.

“Upstairs. I’ll go get it.” Caroline walked upstairs and came back down shortly after carrying a dagger made of bone.

Desdemona looked over the item slowly, inspecting it. “You said you heard a voice. What did it say? Was it male of female?”

“Male, it knew who I was. It basically lectured me for telling the wrong person that I was an Original.”

“But it didn’t harm you?”

“It only hurt when I was actually being stabbed. Once it buried itself in my chest, I felt fine.”

“Amazing.” Desdemona said without looking up. “You really have to love minutia sometimes.”

“What do you mean?” Elijah asked.

“You know those daggers your brother keeps threatening you with? Why don’t they work on him?”

“Because they’re made of silver. Werewolves heal when wounded by silver, Niklaus was born a werewolf. What is your point?”

“My point is Klaus is immune to the dagger because of one tiny detail: what metal was used to create it.” She then held out the blade in her hand. “This blade doesn’t hurt Caroline for a similar reason: whose bone this is.”

“Okay. Can you just skip to the end where you give us a real answer? And not all this vague crap.” Katherine asked.

“This bone is from the skeleton of a warlock. When one of us dies, our bones keep a little bit of the magic from Hell we sold our souls for. Since Caroline is the next Queen of Hell, nothing powered by Hell can harm her.”

“So who’s voice did I hear?” Caroline asked.

“In all likelihood, Asmodeus’s. The blade can’t harm you, but it can put you in a limbo state, where you could talk to someone in the Afterlife.” Desdemona admitted to the frightened blonde. “Has anything else happened?”

“There was one thing. So I got stabbed with the blade, then someone pulled it out. They put it back in and shortly after, I may have ripped some guy’s heart out without touching him.”

“What?! Really Blondie?”

“He was being incredibly rude, and vulgar, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to kill him. A few seconds later, his heart was lying on the floor. And the voice said something about a new power arising.”

“Telekinesis. Well, that’s good to kno-“ Desdemona started to sat before she began staring into space. “We need to go.” She said as she snapped back to reality.

“What? Why?”

“Inadu’s in the bayou. For obvious reasons, that meeting is going to end in someone dying.”


	25. Confrontations in the bayou

_“As amusing as it is watching you lot run into that boundary, again, I didn’t come here to see this.” A woman stepped out from behind a tree and said, sounding bored. She had black hair and was wearing all black. She then looked directly at Hayley and smirked. “Hello, beasties. Which one of you is Ansel? I heard he wanted to talk to me.”_

One man stepped out from the crowd and looked directly at her. “I’m Ansel. Although, I don’t think I know you.”

“So you’re saying you didn’t ask Caroline Forbes to contact the dead on your behalf?”

“The only person we asked her to contact in the afterlife was-“

“Me.” the woman interrupted. “Sorry, I guess I forgot to introduce myself. I am Inadu.” All of the wolves gasped.

“I thought you were supposed to be dead.” Oliver said.

“Wow, you’re a genius aren’t you?” Inadu sarcastically asked. “I was dead, for centuries. Until, let's call him an old friend, let me return to this world.” She said, sounding like she was explaining to a child. “You wanted to speak with me why?”

“We had these rings. They were a way to…. lessen the curse you place on us. They didn’t make us transform every month. They stopped working, and –“

“And you blame me. I won’t lie that does sound like me. There’s just one problem, it wasn’t me.”

“Then who was it?”

Inadu didn’t answer the question and instead stared intently at Ansel for a handful of seconds. “Do they know?” she finally asked the man.

“Do we know what?” Hayley asked.

Inadu turned to glare at Hayley. “I wasn’t speaking to you.” She turned back to Ansel. “Do they know? I mean, they have to know why you came back from the afterlife; you came for your son. But do they know who your son is?”

“They do not. The timing isn’t right.”

“I’m not surprised. Better question, does he know?”

“He found out who I am a few days ago.”

“Not what I’m asking. Does he know what really happened that night? Or are you hoping it just wont come up?”

Ansel’s demeanor became much angrier and he started to sound defensive. “No. He doesn’t know. How do you even know?”

Inadu snorted and answered. “Because of the aftermath. Do you have any idea how much changed because of that one night? Both for your kind and for everyone else.”

One of the werewolves got fed up with this secret conversation and spoke up. “What is happening? Who are you? Who’s his son and what the fuck are you two talking about?”

The warlock turned to the man in question and raised one eyebrow. A second later, he was doubled-over in pain, about to transform. A few others in the crowd were experiencing the same thing. “Piece of advice: don’t piss off the woman who put a curse on your entire family.” Inadu was about to begin taunting Ansel once again when Caroline, Kol, Desdemona and two others ran into the clearing.

“What are you doing here?” Caroline asked.

“Being polite.” She answered. Desdemona scoffed and rolled her eyes. “What? Ansel wanted to talk to me, so I can here to oblige him.”

“Of course.” Desdemona replied sarcastically. “What polite conversation doesn’t involve boundary spells and forced transitioning? Anything of interest come up?”

“Plenty. His son for example. And the things he doesn’t know. Yet.” she was about to say something else when she saw the look on Caroline’s face. “Tell me, did he tell you whose father he is or did you guess?”

“He didn’t have to tell me. I could sense it, somehow, when I met him.” Caroline admitted.

“You just looked at him and knew for sure?” Desdemona said surprised. “You might have the Sight.”

“We can talk about that later.” Inadu responded before turning back to Caroline. “Did you know for sure?”

“Well, I got the weird sense. And he does have the same eyes as Klaus.”

“KLAUS IS YOUR SON?!” Many of the wolves yelled at the same time.

“How dumb are you people?” Enzo asked. “I worked that out days ago.” Everyone turned to give him a weird look. “What? He’s the only person with werewolf heritage in the city that’s not in this swamp. If any of you were Ansel’s son, he would have told you when he got here. “

“Yes, Niklaus is my son. But you didn’t come back from whatever hell you were in to reveal that, did you?”

Trying to change the subject, Desdemona spoke up. “Yeah, wasn’t there an acolyte you had to find?”

“Yes, and found him I did. Vincent Griffith was very helpful…. in making sure Tyler Lockwood reactivated his curse.”

“Reactivate?” a few wolves asked.

Caroline, unfortunately, yelled louder. “You made Tyler reactivate his curse? Why?”

“One of the rules.” Inadu was met with blank looks from the wolves. She needed to know what they knew. “You know how abominations like you came to be, right?”

“Yeah. You’re a vindictive bitch who cursed our ancestors.”

“Your ancestors slaughtered everyone I knew, in front of me, for no reason. What you don’t know is what happened after. I was understandably upset, and traumatized, so I made a deal with the devil. In return, I was able to curse your ancestors, and every descendant they would ever have, to become beasts. An unending eternity of suffering for the monsters who destroyed my life. With only about five exceptions.”

“What does that have to do with my brother’s ex-hybrid?”

“He unknowingly found the loophole. He died, and came back as an untriggered werewolf. I couldn’t just let him stay that way.” Inadu said shrugging.

“By that same logic, you had to have destroyed the rings. They stop the transformations every month, wouldn’t that be considered a loophole?” Jackson reasoned.

“Oh, those pissed me off. But I don’t have the power to depower all the rings at once. Besides, it’s not my style. I was going to kill all of you and then slaughter every witch who knew anything about the spell. Luckily, something else beat me to it, but that’s a story for another time.”

It was quiet for a few moments, until Kol spoke again. “So, are you done taunting them or what?”

“I am. But I’m not the only person here with an axe to grind.” She turned to Caroline. “Anything to say?”

“You mean, do I want to mention how Hayley sent three werewolves into the French quarter to abduct me? I think the two decomposing corpses speak for themselves.”

“Hayley sent someone to kidnap you love?” Klaus asked walking up with Elijah. “Sorry we’re late. Marcel stopped by to chat about…. business.”

“Let me get you up to speed.” Kol said ecstatically. “Inadu came here to taunt the werewolves, specifically Ansel. Caroline blurted out that he’s your dad, and Inadu made Tyler Lockwood retrigger his curse.”

“And Hayley sent three people to kidnap Caroline. Explain.” Hayley began to speak but the look on Klaus’s face told her any explanation wouldn’t end well for her.

“She got all pissed that Kol’s death and resurrection were more important than her. She’s pissed she had to come to me for help regarding the moonlight rings, and she’s pissed that I don’t just kowtow to her. So she sent three werewolves to abduct me so she could ‘teach me some manners’.”

“And?”

“And they had the misfortune of doing so right after those vampires abducted me. I was already angry, so I killed them.” Caroline said before correcting herself. “Well, I kill two of them. That brunette over there who looks like he was hit by a bus was wolf number three.”

“Well then, that’s unfortunate for this lot, isn’t it?”


	26. Confrontations at the compound and Revelations

"Well then, that’s unfortunate for this lot, isn’t it?” Klaus began to walk ominously towards Hayley.

“Don’t kill them.” Caroline said softly.

“You cannot be serious! They tried to kill you!”

“I’m aware of that.” Caroline said glaring at Klaus, “but killing them would be a relief.”

“What are you talking about?” Kol asked confused.

“Something I learned from my months of living humanity-less. Sometimes, the worst way to hurt someone is to leave them be. They got those moonlight rings so they wouldn’t have to transform. The rings don’t work so they’re back to a painful time of the month, with no choice. Why shouldn’t I let them spend the rest of their lives suffering? “

“But the she-hybrid won’t share that fate.” Enzo pointed out.

“No, but she’ll be stuck watching it.” Caroline said before walking away.

* * *

 On the way back into the Quarter, Inadu pulled Caroline aside. “You know those animals have a back-up to the rings, right?”

“Actually I didn’t. What could their back up possibly be? Let me guess, something to do with Hayley?”

“Yeah, if she marries their Alpha, the pack inherits her hybrid abilities. “

“Yet, you seem unconcerned about those you hate escaping your revenge.”

“Let’s just say…. plans like this have a way of working out in my favor.” Inadu said with a sinister smile. “Did you figure out what happened to the rings yet?”

“I have a theory.”

“Then let’s hear it, love.” Klaus said from behind the pair. Both had forgotten he was with them. “I’m anxious to hear your thoughts.”

“The rings were powered by black magic. Black magic comes from Hell. They stopped working because someone in Hell got pissed off. This happened right after the bar fight. If I had to bet on an explanation, it was Asmodeus. I get the feeling only certain people have that kind of juice.” Caroline said. Neither Klaus nor Inadu reacted much. “I mean, it felt personal and attacking someone’s family is a personal as it gets.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s what happened too.” Inadu admitted.

“Wait, you don’t know?”

“Your great-grandpa owns my soul; we’re not friends. We don’t exactly ‘hang out’ as you’d phrase it.” 

* * *

 

All discussion about Inadu and the wolves stopped when the group reached the Abattoir. Marcel, Josh and a number of Marcel’s other followers were waiting inside. Many of them looked angry.

“Great. You again.” Caroline said when she walked in. she then turned to face Klaus. “Can you yell at them or something and make him go away?”

“Why are you still here Marcellus?”

“Let’s see. The wolves’ rings no longer work, we can take our city back, but instead of making plans for that, you went running off after your freaky friend.”

“No one ever accused me of being freaky.” Caroline said. “Did it ever occur to you that he doesn’t need your help retaking the Quarter?”

“Whose help does he need then, yours? Yeah right.” He scoffed.

“At least my plans work, unlike your pathetic kidnapping attempts.”

“Love, what are you talking about?” Klaus interrupted.

“Remember how I got kidnapped? Well, it was your buddy here who planned it. I killed about half of his goons and then walked out. I thought, given what I did to his people, he’d have learned not to mess with me, but I guess he’s a little stupid.”

“And I thought we were on the same side, man. Then, I come to find out you’ve known for how long that werewolves were losing their edge. After the whole Francesca incident, I thought you would have known who your real friends are.”

“Need I remind you that New Orleans is my city? I don’t owe you my confidence and I certainly don’t owe you an explanation.” Klaus shot back. “Besides, what happens to the werewolves is already working itself out.” he looked intently at Desdemona and Inadu, both of whom gave him significant looks. “Is that all or would you like to waste more of my time?”

“I just have one question.” Marcel asked. “How can you trust someone the Ancestors want to kill? I mean, they dislike you, but if my sources can be believed, they hate her. Do you even know why?”

“Witches have been trying to kill me for years. It’s their default setting. At this point, it’s just gotten annoying.” Everyone could see that Caroline was beginning to get annoyed with Marcel, and the situation in general.

“I think you should leave now.” Desdemona said, finally speaking.

“Who the hell are you?”

Instead of answering, she raised one hand waved it in a shooing motion. Marcel, and every vampire who arrived with him, were expelled from the building. “Sometimes, the arrogance of vampires really pisses me off.”

“Why’d you do that? Blondie was finally gonna blow off some steam.” Katherine said looking agitated. “I’d pay to see her hand marcel his ass on a plate.”

“We have more important things to deal with than Marcel Gerard.”

“You definitely do.” An unknown woman said walking into the building. “Which one of you is Niklaus?”

“I am. What do you want?” the hybrid said.

“I have a message for you. From Dahlia. She’s curious to know how long you plan on prolonging the inevitable. Do you really believe you, an abomination, stand any chance of hiding that child from her?”

Everyone’s eyes widened and no one knew what to say for a few seconds. Before anyone could stop him, Klaus rushed across the courtyard and tore the woman’s head from her body.

“Well that was dramatic.” Inadu said sounding bored. “What child is she talking about anyway?”

“It’s a long story, I’ll catch you up later.” Katherine responded.

“Wait, you seriously didn’t know about Nik’s daughter?” Kol asked.

“No, I was sent here to help Caroline control her powers and deal with a personal problem. No one said anything about a baby. Des’ job is to make sure Caroline doesn’t lose it like Artemisia did.”

“What are you talking about? Who’s Artemisia?” Caroline said practically yelling.

“My daughter. “ Desdemona said quietly. “I wasn’t sent back to help you. I was sent back to help me, its the only way I can find peace. I have to make sure you didn’t make the same mistakes she did. Do you think I liked being forced to kill my own child?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, so Des killed her own child, Dahlia has made her first move. Next up, Desdemona's story


	27. The Origins of Desdemona

“You were forced to kill her?” Katherine said quietly. The brunette might not have been the most maternal person on earth, but even she couldn’t understand what the older blonde was saying.

“I had to. She…she got used to her powers too young…she knew-”

“She knew what?”

“She believed that…. given my history with the people she terrorized, I would very little to curb her…malice towards them. And, unfortunately I didn’t. It wasn’t until her rage was directed at those I saw as innocent that I felt obligated to stop her. By then, she had already grown too strong and too angry to simple talk down. I had no choice.”

“So…. are you going to tell them the whole story or should I?” Inadu said after a few moments of silence. “Abstracts are great and all, but I doubt they understand the scale of destruction she caused.”

“Fine.” She said sighing. “It all started roughly 500 years before the birth of Christ. In the year you would call 480BC, I lived in Athens. I was the daughter of a general in the Athenian navy. One day, word reached Athens that the Persians were going to invade Greece. On the information of allied city-states such as Aegina, they discovered the Persian army and navy were very large. So large, in fact, that some of the more…. superstitious naval officers believed the battle could not be won without divine intervention.”

“You lived through the Greco-Persian Wars. Although fascinating, that doesn’t explain much of anything.” Elijah pointed out.

“I’m getting there. To understand Artemisia’s story, you must first know mine. A naval officer from one of the smaller city-states insisted the Alliance had to make a sacrifice to the gods to ensure a victory. Since Athens was the main target of the Persians, the other cities agreed that the Athenians needed to perform such a sacrifice. They agreed before discovering it was a human sacrifice. “ Up until now, Desdemona’s voice had been very clinical, like she was summarizing a passage of a book. When she opened her mouth to speak again, her voice was much more emotional. “One of the priests claimed the Oracle had had a vision of who needed to be sacrificed. This priest, he had a long-time dislike of my father, so he claimed the gods required my father to sacrifice my younger sister, Agatha.”

“You had a sister?” Caroline asked, eyes wide.

Desdemona nodded before continuing. “I begged everyone I could to let her live, I said I would take her place, and yet they didn’t listen. I had to watch as the Athenians, the paragons of wisdom in the Ancient World, succumbed to paranoia and killed my little sister.” She paused. “That’s how I met Artemisia’s father. I wanted them to pay; I wanted all of them to pay. There was this girl Eugeneia, she and her family were slaves, and she had a gift; today you would say she was a witch. Anyway, I told her I needed revenge for my sister and coerced her into using her gift to help me. We prayed to Nemesis for justice, and that didn’t work. We tried to summon spirits to exact vengeance and that didn’t work. We kept trying though, and one day, Eugeneia told me she knew of one last way to get revenge. She said there was a way to summon something beyond this world.“ Desdemona paused again, and when she spoke again, she sounded less sad, and more tired. “It’s funny. Teenagers will spend their free time nowadays trying to summon demons for fun, but they don’t know the secret.”

“The secret?” Caroline asked.

“If you want it bad enough, they’ll find you.” Desdemona said wryly. “One night, I decided to give her ritual a chance. I didn’t even have the spell words out of my mouth before Asmodeus was standing in front of me. He promised revenge on the Athenians if I bore him a child, which I agreed to. A massive drought struck Athens the day after I gave birth to my daughter. The drought led to famine, which led to quite a few people dying, including that priest who was so eager to kill Agatha. For most of her life, Artemisia used her powers to convince the people of Athens, and visitors from the ally city-states, that the gods were angry with them. She killed very few, but she maimed many and drove some insane, like my father. But I didn’t care, because in my mind, they deserved it. “

“So what happened?” Klaus asked. “Did she attack someone you didn’t blame?”

“Not quite. The Spartans were the only city-state during the war that disagreed with the sacrifice. They arrogantly claimed that, since they were descended from Hercules himself, that the gods were already on their, and our, side. When Artemisia was 16 we traveled to Sparta, and a boy there insulted her, so she used her gifts to cause an earthquake, which killed roughly 20,000 people. When she didn’t seem remorseful over the death toll, I knew I couldn’t allow her to continue. I tried everything I could to reason with her, see why she was wrong, but it didn’t work. She believed I was holding her back from her true potential, and tried to kill me. I didn’t want Theodosia to grow up and become like her mother, so I killed my own daughter. I left Theodosia with a friend of mine, Irene before going off into the forest and killing myself, using my death to lock away the demonic abilities.”

“How does me not making the same mistakes she did help you?” Caroline asked after a moment.

“Artemisia, by the time she died, had all of her father’s abilities except one. I knew how to awaken that power, but held off on teaching it to her. If you don’t succumb to the same darkness that she did, my crime against Nature, raising such a child and unleashing its unending wrath upon the world, will be undone.”

“Wait…won’t the devil want Blondie to succumb to toe darkness though?” Kol asked confused.

“No. Unfortunately, most of what you know about the devil is wrong, thanks to the Bible. His goals are his own, but he’s never cared either way if anyone, including his descendants becomes evil or not. His job is the same either way.”

“Yeah, its not about good and evil. It’s about choice and consequence.” Inadu added. “I mean, even if you’re like me and you sell your soul, I chose to do that. Punishment in Hell is the consequence. Plenty of ‘good people’ go to Hell because, even though they meant well, their actions caused a lot of pain and suffering, like your mother for example.”

“Our mother?” Rebekah asked suddenly interested. “But she was on the Ancestral Plane.”

“He can drag people into Hell from other planes of existence as long as they’re dead.” Katherine said. “He stopped me from passing through the Anchor and sucked me into Hell.”

“Yeah. Esther didn’t hijack that Harvest girl’s body just because your brother had a child, she did it to avoid going to Hell. Even though she meant well when she made you into vampires, a few hundred people have died as a result. Some of the blame is on whatever vampire killed them, but some of it belongs to her.”


	28. Priorities

“Ok. While that explains why you’re here and all, it doesn’t explain how to stop Dahlia, or help Hope or even what to do about Marcel.” Caroline replied once the shock wore off.

“I told you, we’re not here for that.” Desdemona answered annoyed. “Why do you even care?”

“She’s a little girl! No matter who or what her parents are, she’s innocent in all this. I can’t just sit here and let something happen to her.” Caroline responded before pausing and becoming more determined. “You may not want to get involved in this, but I am. You want to find peace, you’re gonna have to help me. Nothing personal, but your redemption is about this high on my list of priorities right now.”

“Woah.” Inadu said. “You really are related to him. I guess I’ll help you. I got nothing better to do.”

“Great. Because we needed more undead witches hanging around our house.” Kol snorted. A second later, he started choking.

“We’re not witches, vampire. I thought we already covered this.” Inadu said evenly.

“Ok, I get it. Don’t pull the witch card.” Kol gasped out. Inadu then released him. “I’ll go…consult with our older sister, see what she can tell us about Dahlia’s…. temperament.”

“I supposed Niklaus and I shall contact the few witches that like us.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” Rebekah said. “The witches, except Bonnie of course, all answer to the Ancestors and they want Caroline dead. Inviting them anywhere near her is a bad idea.”

“We’ll have to deal with this quietly for now.” Klaus said. “Perhaps it would be better to concentrate our efforts on regaining control of the city, brother.” Elijah nodded.

Caroline looked between Bonnie, Enzo and Katherine. “You know what that means, right?”

“Book club?” Katherine asked.

“Book club.” Before anyone could ask why they’d have a book club meeting at a time like this, the four of them had rushed upstairs. Enzo and Caroline each zoomed in and out of different rooms few times in the following few minutes, before the group fell silent.

Upstairs, Bonnie had just finished a very strong privacy and entry-denying spell on Caroline’s room. The spell would dissipate in a few hours, which gave the foursome just enough time.

“What exactly is book club, gorgeous?” Enzo asked.

“It’s a code word. Book club is code for ‘sit around, get drunk, and vent’. Elena and I invented it last year with the whole Silas BS.”

“It’s very cathartic.” Bonnie added.

“Ok, rules. What happens in book club stays in book club. Book club ends when we’re out of things to bitch about.” Caroline said before starting. “I’m literally the spawn of Satan, which is both weird and empowering.”

“I was dying and people threw a party to celebrate it.”

The conversation went on in a similar manner for the next three hours.

 

Kol walked into Freya’s room and sat down.

“What do you want?”

“In a general sense or-“

“I’m already trapped here, what does Niklaus want?”

“Answers would be great. Like, how is Dahlia still alive? How do we kill her? Why should I trust you?”

“Whether you trust me or not is irrelevant. Niklaus clearly decided I wasn’t worth his time and sent a minion to pester me with questions.”

“You don’t know who I am, do you?” Kol said quietly. “I suppose its not shocking. After all, Auntie Dahlia already had you for what, ten years, by the time I was born. ‘Sup big sister, I’m your baby brother Kol. Well, the last baby brother that’s still alive.”

“I thought Finn killed you.”

“Oh, he did. But unlike him and Nik, there are a few witches out there that like me. So, back to our dear old psychotic Aunt. Answer the questions.”

“Or what?”

“I get creative. How are you and Dahlia still alive?”

“It’s a slumber spell. For a century, we sleep and accrue a vast amount of magic. While asleep we cannot be harmed by traditional means, while awake, we’re basically immortal. We get one year awake in return for a century asleep.”

“How do we kill her?”

“You can’t. You can undo the spell, but that would only render her mortal, not kill her. You cannot, but another could. The man who absorbed my century of magic, whatever the blonde downstairs is, they could kill her, but none of us could.”

“How exactly could Caroline kill her?”

“I’m not sure. But the closest Dahlia ever came to death was when she tried to channel something like her.”

* * *

 

**The Bayou**

 “How could you not tell us?” one of the wolves screamed at Ansel.

“It’s not really your business. Let me make something very clear. I do not owe any of you an explanation about my life, my family or my death.”

“Except your son made us loses our edge over the vampires.”

“No, he didn’t. Think about it. When did the rings stop working?” Cary answered, finally realizing something.

“Right after the bar fight.”

“And was Klaus anywhere near the fight while it was happening?”

“No, he showed up later.”

“But who was there?”

“The blonde, her vampire friend and that weird witch. “

“Do you really think, if Klaus knew your rings didn’t work, he wouldn’t have driven out here right away to taunt you?” Cary reasoned. “Exactly.”

The North East Pack wandered away a few seconds later. Hayley and Jackson gathered their pack for a brief meeting.

“I know the rings don’t work anymore, but Jack and I figured out a way to keep us strong. I don’t trust Caroline and the withes don’t seem interested in helping us.”

“What’s your plan?”

“A unification ceremony. If Jack and I go through it, the pack would gain my hybrid ability to control my transformation.”

The pack members’ response was cut off when Hayley heard a car approaching and shushed everyone.

“How do you expect to find her in this swamp?” an unknown female voice asked.

“This is Hayley’s pack’s territory. It’s the best place to start.” Tyler Lockwood’s voice responded. “Hopefully, she’ll help me.”

“Didn’t you try to kill her though?”

“Yes. Which is something I regret but I thought was the right thing to do at the time. If you ever meet Klaus, you’ll understand why. She helped me once though, hopefully she hates Klaus more than me.”

Hayley gave Jackson a look before walking outside. “I don’t know. It’s a pretty close match.”

“Hayley, I-“

“Need my help. I heard. I also know what happened, well, some of it.”

“How could you know?” the blonde woman with him asked.

“You didn’t kill that guy by chance, Tyler. Someone really wanted you to retrigger your wolf gene.”

“And this someone told you that?”

“More like taunted.” Jackson said coming up behind Hayley in a protective stance. “She wasn’t too happy you found a loophole by dying.”

* * *

 

**Two hours outside New Orleans**

Esther, or Lenore as she was forced to go by now, sat in her makeshift prison. She didn’t know how Niklaus managed to convince a witch to turn an ordinary house into a witch prison, but she was equally terrified and impressed. It was too bad this whole situation was for naught. Finn would find her soon. If Finn didn’t arrive, Mikael would realize something was wrong and find her. All she had to do was wait.

Esther was pulled out of her musings by the door being kicked in. Esther stood up, only to cower away in fear when she saw who was in the doorway.

“Hello, sister.” Dahlia said with a wicked smile.


	29. Plotting in the bayou

“A wedding? That’s your solution?” Tyler asked. Hayley had just finished catching Tyler up on what was going on and her plan. Hayley left everything about Caroline and Inadu out of her story.

“It’s not a wedding, it’s a unification ceremony.”

“Sounds an awful lot like a wedding. Anyway, how do you know this will work?”

“They’ve worked in the past, according to Ansel. It’s worth a shot.”

“Maybe, except the vampirism and the wolf gene work differently, they’re spread differently, just because it worked in the past on regular werewolves doesn’t mean it extends to a werewolf-vampire hybrid.”

“I’m still going to try it.” Hayley spat out. “You can take part or not, it’s your choice.”

“And it’s their funeral when Klaus finds out.” Tyler shot back. “He’s a control-freak. Do you really think he’s just going to let you turn your currently not-a-threat-to-him pack into an army of super-wolves.”

“He’s not going to find out. Because you’re going to keep him distracted by driving a wedge between him and Caroline.”

“Caroline’s here?”

“Yeah, she showed up a few weeks ago with some British vampire and some mutant-witch.”

“Did you say mutant-witch?” Liv asked. “How was he or she a mutant?”

“He knocked one of us out by touching him. He claimed he could absorb magic from any supernatural being or object. Why?” one of the other werewolves responded.

“Was he kinda an asshole?” Liv asked and everyone nodded. “Let’s just say I’ve met that particular witch before.” She turned and stormed out.

“What’s her problem?” Jackson asked.

“Kai, the witch you were just talking about, killed her twin brother.”

Everyone’s response was cut off when one of Esther’s former witches walked into the clearing. “There’s something you need to know. Several somethings, actually.”

* * *

  **The Abattoir**

“The beasts are moving fast.” Inadu said nonchalantly. “I half-expected them to lick their wounds for a few more days.”

“What are you talking about?” Klaus asked.

“For the first time in decades, the wolves in the bayou had actual power, which they then lost. Unsurprisingly, they want it back and they’ve already got a plan to do so. Once they’re ‘dominant’ again, they can go back to forcing you and your kind from this city.”

“I’m immortal. My child is the only bargaining chip they have and Hayley won’t let them harm her and the Crescent wolves will never be able to find her. They can’t make me do anything.”

“That is true. However, do you really want to live in a city where you’re being attacked every moment of everyday? They wouldn’t need to kill you, just annoy you into leaving.”

“Or I just kill all of them.” Klaus said shrugging. “It’s hard to fight a war when you don’t have an army. What is their plan anyway?”

“Don’t worry. It will not work.”

“What, are you psychic now?”

“No, but Hell needs it to fail. And what Hell wants, Hell tends to get. Especially when it comes to werewolves.”

“Why is Hell so interested in werewolves?”

“It’s not. But the devil, and his right-hand man, are interested in keeping up their end of a deal.”

* * *

 

**Bayou**

“What is it, witch?”

“I brought a copy of the moonlight ring spell.” Phoebe said pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket. “Whoever wanted to see it might be able to figure out what we couldn’t.”

“We found a way around needing the rings.” Hayley said tensely. “Why shouldn’t we just kill you now?”

“Because none of you are attuned to Nature.” Juliana said walking up behind Phoebe. “You’ve been hiding out here trying to figure out what went wrong and you’ve missed a change in the wind.”

“What are you talking about?”

“A very powerful force has fought its way back into the world-“

“You mean Inadu.” Jackson said.

“No, I said force not being. This is much stronger than Inadu, although her presence isn’t surprising.”

“Ok, so some super power force has returned. So what? Why does that matter to us and why does it mean we can’t kill you?”

“Because whoever is controlling it came to New Orleans, and right around the time your rings stopped working, we sensed it.”

“Sensed what?”

“Hell. Esther forced us to use black magic to make your rings work. All black magic is powered by Hell, and only Hell can undo black magic. I just haven’t figured out why the forces of Hell care one way or the other about you.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, be careful. Whatever you’ve done, whatever you’re planning, there’s a good chance someone out there is going to try and stop you.” With that, both witches walked away.

“Are you sure we should still do this?” one of the werewolves asked after the pair left.

“Yes. The sooner we perform the ritual, the less time someone has to stop us.”


	30. Unexpected Developments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inadu stirs up some more trouble, Caroline finds herself in an unlikely place, and we find out why things tend to work out in Inadu's favor.

**The Abattoir**

“Not to make your reunion with your biological father more complicated, but you need to talk to Ansel.” Inadu said out of nowhere.

“Why? Because then I’ll know what life I could have led?” Klaus asked sarcastically. “Caroline may think reuniting with him will fix all my issues, but it won’t. Ansel means almost nothing to me.”

“No, Caroline’s mission to reconcile you two is her own. You need to talk to him because there’s quite a bit you don’t know that you need to.”

“Such as?”

“The truth about what happened during your human life. Ask Ansel about the night that Henrik died.” Inadu said.

Klaus looked at her in shock. Henrik was the last person he expected her to mention, ever. Dozens of different scenarios played through his head. Did Ansel know how killed Henrik? He had to, it was his pack. Did Ansel himself kill Henrik? If so, why? Henrik was innocent. Klaus was going to question the warlock further when the door to his study was slammed open.

“Caroline just disappeared.” Katherine said.

“What do you mean ‘disappeared’?” Klaus asked.

“We were talking and in the middle of the conversation, she vanished into thin air.”

“Did she seem preoccupied?” Inadu asked calmly.

“A little, yeah.”

“She’ll be fine. New power just kicked in.”

* * *

 

**Undisclosed Location**

A quiet thud made Camille sit up in bed. It had been days since she’d last seen Elijah. He’d arranged for some compelled humans to bring Cami everything she might need, but the solitude was beginning to wear on her.

Shortly after Finn disappeared with the unknown witch, Elijah moved Cami and Hope to a different safe house. If Finn knew where Hope was, they had no guarantees that Mikael, Esther or whoever Finn seemed to fear wouldn’t find out eventually.

The bartender checked in on Hope before heading towards the intruder. Moving quietly, Cami made her way downstairs, trying not to attract attention. She knew she likely stood no chance if her visitor was a vampire, but she knew she had to try. She heard movement in the kitchen and went towards the noise.

Opening the door slowly, she found a confused looking blonde digging through one of the drawers.

“Come on, who doesn’t have a phone book or take-out menus?” the mystery woman said, still not noticing Camille.

“Who are you and how did you get here?” Cami asked. The blonde turned around and saw Cami standing in the doorway holding a shotgun.

“My name’s Caroline. I don’t really know how I got here. I don’t even know where ‘here’ is.” The girl said. “One minute I was in New Orleans, next thing I knew I was in the living room.”

“New Orleans you said. Are you a witch?” Cami said.

“No.”

“Then how did you get in here without tripping the alarm?”

“It’s complicated. Look, have you ever heard of someone named Klaus Mikaelson?” Caroline responded trying to appear non-threatening. Cami nodded. “I’m gonna reach into my pocket and grab my phone. I’ll call him and you two can talk.”

Cami lowered the gun slightly, and Caroline slowly reached into her jeans and pulled out her phone. Sighing, she dialed a number and wait. “Put it on speaker.” Cami insisted.

“Hello?” Klaus’ unmistakable accent said.

“Hey, Klaus.” Caroline replied.

“Love, where are you? Katerina just ran into my office claiming you vanished.”

“About that, I don’t quite know-“

“Klaus, do you know this woman?” Cami cut in.

“Camille. How…. how are you with Caroline at the moment, you’re supposed to be taking care of Hope.”

“I am. I was woken up when I heard a noise downstairs; I investigated and found Caroline in my kitchen. She doesn’t know how she got here and claims she knows you. Is she a threat to Hope?”

“I’m not a threat too Hope. I’m trying to help protect her. Look, you’ve probably met my friend Kai, he’s the one who got rid of Finn.”

“Klaus?” Cami asked, looking for verification.

“She’s telling the truth.” Klaus said. “Although, I have no idea how she got to where you are.”

“Where is here, anyway?” Caroline asked.

“The safe house I sent Hope to after Finn found her the first time.” Klaus said. “Hold on just one second.” It was quiet on his end of the line.

While they waited for Klaus to return, Caroline and Cami stared awkwardly at each other.

“Sorry for literally showing up out of nowhere and scaring you.” Caroline said. “And thanks for not shooting me.”

“No problem. How do you know Klaus?”

“Before he came to New Orleans, he lived in my hometown for a little over a year. Needless to say, some serious stuff went down.”

Cami’s response was cut off when they heard Klaus return. “Still there?”

“Yup. Wherever here actually is.” Caroline said.

“Caroline, are you okay?” Desdemona asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I told you she would be.” Inadu said sounding bored.

“I’m sorry, Klaus, who are the other two people with you?”

“They might have an explanation of how Caroline got there.” Klaus replied.

“Caroline, what was the last thing you remember when you were in New Orleans?” Desdemona asked.

“I was still angry about our disagreement from earlier. I was trying to clear my head but all I could feel was worry. This is gonna sound weird, but it wasn’t my worry, it was like I was-“

“Picking up on someone else’s emotions?” Inadu asked.

“Yeah, only I don’t know if it was just one person. Anyway, when I tried to figure out what was causing it, it seemed to be coming from everywhere. I closed my eyes and then, when I opened them again, I was here.”

There was silence for a few minutes. Then, Desdemona spoke. “I know what happened. Two of your abilities manifested at once.”

“What abilities?” Cami asked. “What are you?”

“I’ll explain later. “ Caroline said before turning her attention back to the phone. “What abilities awoke?”

“Your…species can manipulate emotions to an extent. In order to do that, you need the ability to read emotions. That ability manifested and you felt Klaus and his siblings worrying about Hope. Which leads to the second gift: teleportation.”

“Teleportation?” Caroline asked.

“Yes. From what I’ve seen so far, you’re a very caring person. Naturally, when you felt their worry, you wanted to do something about it, even subconsciously. Your powers pulled you towards Hope to make sure she was okay. ”

“So I teleported?”

“Quite a distance too, I’m guessing by the shock on Klaus’ face right now.” Inadu said.

“But this house is supposed to be cloaked.” Cami argued.

“Against witches, vampires, humans and werewolves. Not against something like Caroline.”

“How do I get back?”

“Same way you got there, focus on where you want to go.”

After several minutes of reassurances and Klaus getting to ‘talk’ to Hope for a little while, Caroline hung up the phone.

“What exactly are you?” Cami asked.

“Oh, I'm not nearly drunk enough for that question.”

* * *

 

**Hell**

“My lord.” A demon said walking up to the devil. “Belial is outside demanding to speak with you. He claims it’s urgent.”

“Send him in.” Asmodeus said without turning around.

“My lord.” Belial said, bowing upon entering the room.

“Belial, you’ve been my right-hand man for over ten thousand years. We’ve been brothers-in-arms since before I gained the throne of Hell. Can we dispense with the formalities?” He turned around to face the closest thing he had to a friend.

“I suppose we can.” The other demon said smiling slightly. “I’m afraid I have…. disconcerting news.”

“The wolves of Louisiana?”

“Yes. As you know, those rings of theirs were dispelled-“

“Yes, by me. No one uses the power of my domain to attack my family.” The devil interrupted.

“I know. With the rings no longer working, there have been…whispers, that the wolves will use a unification ritual to regain control of their transformations. They’d effectively be free of Inadu’s curse.”

“Ah yes. The best deal you ever made.” Asmodeus said. “You know, when you first told me of her, I thought she was just another angry, immature child. It wasn’t until I heard her terms that I saw the cunning, vindictive mind that Hell needed so badly. “

“A mind we will lose if this plan works.” Belial reminded him. It was one of the rules, if Hell doesn't keep up their end of a deal they made, the soul of the person who made it gets released.

“Oh, not necessarily. The full moon is tomorrow. They cannot begin the trials of the Unification ceremony until a new moon. The trials take roughly a week to complete. Three weeks should be plenty of time to efficiently throw a wrench into the works. A certain, centuries old, wrench.”

“You mean-”

“I think it’s time I speak with him. Don’t you?”


	31. Long Overdue Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus gets answers, the Forwood reunion doesn't go well and Klaus goes on a little trip

**The Bayou**

Klaus was fuming as he sped into the bayou. Many of the Crescent wolves saw him coming and practically dove out of his way. They waited, tensely, to see what he would. The hybrid who just arrived wasn’t ‘normal threatening’ Klaus, he wasn’t even ‘I will kill you and everyone you’ve met’ Klaus. This was a side of Klaus no one had seen ever, not even Elijah.

“Where is he?” Klaus growled at the first werewolf he saw.

“Where’s who?”

“Ansel.” He spat out angrily.

“Why…. why do you need to see him?” the wolf stuttered.

“It’s a…family matter.”

The wolves all looked at one another terrified. No one had seen Ansel they found out he was Klaus’ father. Many of them were smart enough to know that any answer resembling ‘we don’t know’ would end badly. For everyone.

“Quarter miles that way.” Cary said, as even as possible pointing further into the bayou. “Or at least that’s where he was earlier this morning.”

The hybrid nodded and stormed off. He found Ansel exactly where Cary said he’d be. Based on his body language, the elder man heard Klaus coming but decided not to react.

“Hello Niklaus.” The wolf said in a neutral tone.

“Ansel.”

“May I ask why you’ve come? And why you’re so angry?”

“Oh, I’m not angry. This is an emotion miles past angry.” Klaus replied. “I just had the most interesting conversation. With your friend Inadu.”

“I’d hardly call her a friend.” Ansel responded trying not to panic. “What did you talk about?”

“She seemed rather adamant that I talk to you. About my human life. Specifically, the full moon before Mikael and Esther killed us.”

Ansel closed his eyes and sighed. “You mean, talk about Henrik.”

“Yes.” Klaus said, closing in on the man. “What really happened that night?”

“Please, take a seat.” Ansel gestured to a tree stump. “When you were a child, after every full moon, I used to wake closer and closer to your village. It always felt like your blood was calling out to me, like you were calling out to me, when I transformed. That’s how I knew, without a doubt, that you were my son. Over time, I stopped trying to fight the urge.” Ansel said, sounding a world away. “So, when you and your brother went into the woods that night…”

“You were drawn to me and killed my little brother. You were the wolf we were running from when he tripped.”

“No, I wish it were that easy, that simple.” Ansel said, looking away. “I don’t know what its like, your wolf form, I don’t know how much of you is aware of what you’re doing. For us, there’s nothing. We remember almost nothing. Our minds see the world in black-and-white. Prey and everything else.”

“Just. Tell me. What happened.”

“I sought you out, like I always did. Unfortunately, someone followed me. He wanted to know where I went every month. Anyway, he saw you and Henrik. Since you were a wolf too and part of our pack, he didn’t see you as a threat, but he saw Henrik as one. He was the wolf you were running from.”

“Henrik wasn’t a threat. He was a child!” Klaus yelled.

“I know. But my son didn’t.”

Klaus paused before replying. “Your son?”

“Yes. The werewolf who killed your half-brother was your other half-brother.”

“When were you going to tell me this?” Klaus asked. Ansel didn’t respond or look at him. “You weren’t going to tell me, were you? You show up, preaching about wanting to be my father, to make up for leaving me with Mikael, and yet I’m not worth the truth. Who else knows? My mother? Your pack? Who?!”

“No one, other than Inadu. I knew because I saw it. I still don’t know how Inadu found out.”

“Because, Esther didn’t just accept her son’s death. ” The woman said, appearing out of nowhere. “She decided to mess with Nature, make her remaining children stronger. Including the one who fell under the purview of my curse.”

“Why not just tell me what happened yourself?”

“Because, of all the people I cursed all those years ago, I hated your ancestor the most.” Inadu replied. “And, ignorance isn’t actually bliss.”

* * *

 

**Rousseau’s**

Caroline finally focused enough to teleport home, only to find herself desperately in need of a drink. Between the stress of the last few days, her still growing list of powers and just life, the blonde was ready to drink New Orleans dry. She walked into Rousseau’s and ordered. After a few minutes, she smelled a wolf. Turning, she saw Tyler walking into the bar looking nervous.

“Care?”

“What are you doing here, Tyler?”

“I came to see you,” the black-haired man said shifting nervously.

“Okay.” Caroline said slowly waiting for him to continue.

“Look, I…. I made a lot of mistakes before Sloane killed me. A lot of them involved you and I…. I wanted to apologize. I want to start over.”

Caroline knew, somehow, that this was all a lie. She chose to blame it on her new abilities. “Apologize? For what?”

“Everything.”

“No, you need to be more specific.” Tyler was silent. “You don’t even know what you’re apologizing for, do you? Which means you aren’t actually sorry, which means you want something. Typical.”

The werewolf sighed before speaking. “Look, can you just…. do me a favor. For old times sake-“

Caroline felt her anger rising rapidly. Luckily, the bar was deserted, except her, Tyler and Josh who’d run off somewhere a few minutes earlier. “No. Remember the last time I did you a ‘favor’? Your bitchy friend Hayley, who probably put you up to this, broke my neck, and helped wake Silas. Klaus killed your mom and you blamed me. I am DONE doing favors for people who throw their own failures back in my face. Leave. Now. “

* * *

 

**The Compound**

“Sorry to smash your dreams of having one parent who doesn’t suck.” Inadu said as they walked into the Abattoir.

 “Over the years, I’ve become numb to it.” Klaus replied. “It’s refreshing to just have a liar and not a parent trying to kill you.”

“Niklaus, where have you been?” Elijah asked.

“The man our whore of a mother slept with and I needed to have a chat.”

“I take it the chat didn’t go very well.”

“No. Ansel used to visit our village in his wolf form. The night Henrik was killed he was followed by another who killed our baby brother. He’s known this all along and thought not to tell me.”

“Brother, I’m sorry.” Elijah was going to continue when his neck was broken.

“What the bloody he-“ Klaus started to say before darkness overtook him.

* * *

 

**Klaus’ mind**

Klaus opened his eyes and he was…home? Not the Abattoir, not New Orleans but the hovel he lived in as a child. He barely had time to process where he was when he felt something hard hit him.

“Useless, worthless.” Mikael’s voice screamed as he hit Klaus with a belt. “I should have drowned you at birth, boy! No one will ever care about you!”

“This…this isn’t real.” Klaus said mostly to himself. “This already happened.”

“That was quicker than most.” A foreign voice said from behind fake-Mikael. Klaus turned and saw a middle-aged man in an expensive suit standing in the doorway of the hovel. “Interesting that this is the Hell you pick.”

“What do you mean, the Hell I pick?”

“I’m sorry, did you think there was just one?” The man asked rhetorically.


	32. Hell and Other People

**Klaus’ mind**

_“I’m sorry, did you think there was just one?” The man asked rhetorically._

“I’m in Hell. How am I in Hell? I’m not dead.” Klaus asked mostly to himself.

“Technically, you’ve been dead for a thousand years, but I know what you meant.” The man said. “You’re not actually in Hell though, its just your concisouness that’s here. Think of it like a really realistic Skype call, courtesy of Inadu.”

“Who are you?”

“I’ve gone by many names over the years. You may call me Az.”

“Az, as in Asmodeus. You’re the devil.”

“Such a mundane title, but accurate. Yes, I am Asmodeus.” The ruler of Hell said. “Now, you and I need to discuss a few things.”

“Let me guess, its about Caroline and how much we shouldn’t be together?”

“Oh, no. Who my descendants sleep with isn’t my concern. Though, for the record, she could do better. This is about your 'baby mama' as the kids say.”

“What about her?”

“Hayley and Jackson have cooked up a genius plan to make their pack stronger. If they go through a unification ceremony, the pack will gain her hybrid abilities. Hell needs that plan not to work.”

“Why does this involve me and why does Hell care?”

“It involves you because you are one of the few people who can actually affect the outcome of the ceremony. And Hell cares because if that pack is freed from Inadu’s curse, we lose her.”

“You lose her? I thought you owned her soul.”

“I do. As long as the descendants of the people she cursed, werewolves, suffer for the atrocity they committed against her people.”

“Don’t I violate that rule? I don’t turn into a wolf every moon, so I don’t suffer her curse, as you put it.”

“Her deal wasn’t that specific. She wanted them to suffer, suffering takes many forms. After all, no one would claim your life was particularly pleasant. We’re getting off track. Anyway, I need you to not try and stop Hayley’s plot.”

“I thought you didn’t want the plan to work.”

“It won’t but in order for my plan to work out, I need her to think it does. After all, no one’s actually performed a unification ritual since 1275. Things are already in motion, we just need them to play out to their logical conclusion.” The devil said smiling. “Inadu can tell you more. Farewell.”

“Wait, what?” Klaus then woke up on the floor of the Abattoir.

* * *

 

**The Abattoir**

“Oh thank god you’re okay!” Caroline said hugging Klaus.

“I was only out for five minutes.”

“You were out for four hours, Nik.” Kol said from nearby.

“Really?” he sat up and looked around.

“Yeah, time moves differently in Hell.” Inadu said shrugging.

“Wait, Hell? You sent him to Hell? Why?”

“Your grandpa needed to talk to him and he is techinically my boss, so…” inadu said defensively.

“Well, now that we know Klaus isn’t dead, I’m gonna go literally anywhere else.” Katherine said walking off. Rebekah, Kol, Bonnie and Enzo soon followed.

“Are you all right, Niklaus?”

“Yes, being to Hell and back, literally, is just a bit jarring. Anything important happen?”

“Tyler’s back in town. And probably working with Hayley on whatever she’s up to.”

“Oh, he definitely is. Your….the devil gave me some insight on what they’re up to and its right up his alley.”

* * *

 

**The Bayou**

“I hope your entire plan didn’t ride on me distracting Caroline.” Tyler said as soon as he returned to the bayou and found Hayley.

“It doesn’t.” Hayley responded. “Out of curiosity, what happened?”

“I showed up and apologized, she asked if I even knew what I was apologizing for, I didn’t have an answer, she told me to fuck off. I asked her to help ‘for old times sake’ and she repeated the ‘fuck off’ sentiment.”

“Did you tell her what the favor you needed was?”

“No, we didn’t get that far. But she guessed that you and I are working together. She seemed…..different. not humanity-less but also not…..Caroline.”

“Yeah, when I figure out how to explain that, I will.”

“Ah, Little Tyler Lockwood. The one who almost got away.” A woman’s voice called from the doorway.

“Get out!” Hayley growled.

“I think we’ve already established how insignificant I find you, hybrid. I’d stay on my good side before I decide to reinstate the curse on your pack.” Inadu taunted from the doorway. “Now, tell me, mutt. Which hurt worse, triggering your curse the first time or the second? Inquiring minds want to know.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“The one who made you.”

* * *

 

**Elsewhere**

Dahlia rolled her eyes at Esther’s pained screaming. She waited a few more minutes before lifting the spell. “I’ll ask you again, sister. Where is the child?”

“I don’t know! I’ve been stuck here since I jumped into this body. Niklaus has had weeks to hide her.”

“And you had months before that to locate the child.” Dahlia bit back. “You observed your wrecthed children, broke inside their minds. Who would they leave that child with? Where would they take her?”

“For the last time, I don’t know.”

“Pity. I suppose we’ll have to go back to basics.” Dahlia said as she performed the pain spell on her sister once again.


End file.
